Finding My Way Back
by xoBlack.Roses
Summary: After five years of being in a coma, Clare wakes up to find out that her husband has moved on and started a new family. Can she win him back or will it be too late?
1. Chapter 1

**I want to thank you all for the reviews. And to king and queen, thank you for pointing out my mistakes. I haven't got a good excuse on why I messed up all the dates. Anyways, I'm re-uploading this chapter so there won't be any confusion this time. Hopefully I have everything right this time. I'll also be updating my stories later on in the day, so be on the look out.**

**BTW: I don't own Degrassi. **

**Summary: After three years of being in a coma, Clare wakes up to find out that her husband has moved on and started a new family. Can she win him back or will it be too late?**

* * *

**May 21, 2007**

_The newly wed couple were in the car. Eli had one hand on Clare's while the other was on the steering wheel. Every few seconds, he would sneak a glance at his beautiful wife. She looked absolutely stunning in the wedding dress. She had her hair pinned up and she wore a little tiara at the top of it. She had on a pair of dangling diamond earrings and a matching necklace. _

_Clare smiled widely and looked out of the window. She couldn't believe she married her high school sweetheart. A lot of their friends- even her parents had doubt in them. The only ones- besides them- who had faith in them were CeCe, Bullfrog, Adam, Katie, Alli, and Jake. Everyone else thought- since Eli was bi-polar and Clare was going through her problems since Asher- they wouldn't last._

_"Clare, you look so beautiful," Eli finally spoke._

_"And you look handsome."_

_"Handsome enough to kiss?"_

_"Eli, keep your eyes on the road. We can do this later."_

_"Come on, just one peck."_

_"Ugh, fine," Clare said leaning in to give her husband a peck._

_When they pulled apart, a large milk truck was speeding down the road. Eli gasped and screamed, "CLARE!" The truck came crashing on Clare's side of the car._

_..._

_Eli was pacing back and forth at the hospital. His tux was slightly hanging from his body and had stains of blood on it. His tossed hair was all over and his eyes had bags under them. _

_Adam looked over at his best friend and felt sympathy. He knew today was supposed to be a big day for him. After him and Clare got married, the two was supposed to go to the hotel and try for a baby. No one expected for Clare to end up in the hospital. _

_When the doctor walked into the waiting room, Eli stopped pacing and Adam stood up. Both of them walked over to the doctor, waiting for him to tell them the news._

_"Well Mr. Goldsworthy, it seems like Mrs. Goldsworthy has slipped into a coma."_

_"W-When will she wake up?" he asked, tears slowly falling down his pale cheeks._

_"I have no idea. It could take days, weeks, or even years. We're doing the best we can Mr.-"_

_"Eli. Call me Eli."_

_"Well, we're doing the best we can Eli. I'm not sure when she'll wake up. The best thing to do is wait," with that being said, the doctor gave Eli an apologetic look and walked away._

_Before Adam could say something to Eli- Helen, Glen, Jake, and Katie rushed into the waiting room. All of them had their eyes glued on the distraught boy. Before he could speak, Helen began yelling at him._

_"What the hell happened to my baby girl!? I-I knew I shouldn't have trusted her with you!" she screamed._

_"Mrs. Martin, I think you should calm-" Helen interrupted Adam._

_"NO! My baby has been hit by a damn truck! I'll be damned if you think I'll calm down! And you," Helen said pointing to Eli, "Once my baby wakes up, you better stay away from her!"_

_Glen pulled Helen out of the waiting room. Katie and Jake walked over to Eli. Katie patted him on the shoulder, while Jake stared at the floor. Tears slowly fell from his face._

_"It wasn't your fault, Eli," Katie said softly._

_"I-It was! I-I asked her for a kiss! She said no, but I begged for it. I should have kept my eyes on the road."_

_"Everything will be OK. She'll pull through," Katie said._

_..._

_It's been three tragic weeks since the incident. Eli was sitting in the chair, holding on to Clare's hand. He kissed it softly and tried to hold back the tears. When he glanced up at her, he decided to let them fall. It was so hard for him to see his wife lying in the hospital bed._

_He didn't believe in a God until the day he saw her laying in the bed. He prayed she would pull through. He knew that Clare was strong- she could get through anything. She got through the 'Asher incident.' She got through all of her heart breaks. She even got through with Eli's bi-polar disorder. Eli knew it was tough for her to deal with, but she managed to get through it._

_"C-Clare," Eli stuttered, "you have to pull through. I-I k-know y-you can p-pull through. P-please, stay strong. I-I l-love you."_

_He stood from his seat and leaned over to kiss Clare on the cheek. Before walking out of the hospital room, he gave her one last glance. _

_Walking away from Clare was heartbreaking. He wished he could stay there forever, but he knew he had to go home. He has been there for four days straight- waiting for her to wake up. He knew he had a stench to him, plus he was hungry and tired. He decided to go home, take a shower, eat and get a little sleep before heading back to the hospital._

_While Eli was sleeping, his doorbell had rung. His eyes shot open and he slowly rolled out of bed. He dragged his feet to the door and opened it. Adam was standing there, with a smile on his face._

_"Adam, I don't want any company." he said in a groggy voice._

_"I know, but you have either been at home or in the hospital for weeks. I think it's time for you to have some fun."_

_After twenty minutes of arguing, Adam had finally dragged Eli out of the house. The two was at a club. While Adam was on the dance floor, trying to find someone, Eli was sitting at the bar. One hand was holding up his head while the other one was holding his glass._

_Adam walked back to the bar, patting Eli on the shoulder. "Why are you still sitting around? Come dance with me."_

_Eli shook his head. "No. Clare wouldn't like that."_

_"Clare also wouldn't like for you to mope around and be sad!"_

_"You don't know what Clare would like!" Eli spat. He stood up from the bar and stormed out of the club._

_..._

_Three years later, Eli was sitting in the same chair he's been sitting in since Clare incident. The doctor walked into the room with a sad look plastered on his face._

_"Eli, it's good to see you again."_

_"Dr. Myles, has she been making any progress?"_

_"Eli," Dr. Myles said sighing, "We might have to pull the plug. She looks like she won't make it."_

_"No," Eli said shaking his head, "You can't do that!"_

_"I'm afraid I may have to."_

_Eli stormed out of the hospital. He couldn't believe the doctor was going to pull the plug. He couldn't believe they thought Clare wasn't going to make it. _

_Since he knew they were going to pull the plug, he thought it wasn't a point to go to the hospital anymore. He stopped visiting Clare. He put her in the past and moved on._

_**Two years later**_

The first thing she heard was the beeping noise. Her eyes fluttered opened and she saw white walls. The room had a weird stench she didn't like. She looked down to see there was a needle in her arm. Her head was sore and so was her body. When she tried to move, she couldn't.

A man with blue scrubs on walked into the room. He smiled and walked over to her.

"Clare, you're up! Do you remember anything that happened?"

Clare just stared at him. She couldn't find it in herself to speak. She tried to open her mouth to say something, but no words came out.

"OK, I guess that's a no. Well, Clare, I'm doctor Myles. Clare, you were in a car accident. A truck smashed into you. You've been in a coma for five years. We thought about pulling the plug, but your family insisted on waiting a couple more years. We couldn't deny their orders."

"W-Where i-is m-my h-h-husband? W-Where i-i-is Eli?"

...

Eli was sitting in the house him and his wife, Imogen, had bought.

The day the doctor told Eli that he was pulling the plug, Eli decided to let Adam take him out. Adam had found a girl, named Fiona. She was with her best friend, Imogen.

Eli and Imogen instantly hit it off. The two had things in common. But there was a voice in Eli's head. The voice was telling Eli "This is wrong. What about Clare?" He ignored the voice in his head and continued to talk to Imogen. 6 months later, he decided to pop the big question. Imogen happily accepted and they had gotten married a month later. On their honeymoon, the two decided to try for a baby. By luck, they were having a baby on their first try.

Today, Imogen and Eli had a one year old child named Lillian. A week from now, Lilian would be two. Eli smiled at the thought. Then, his phone began to vibrate. He looked on the caller I.D to see that his best bud, Adam was calling.

"Yo, Adam! Wassup?"

_"GET YO ASS TO THE HOSPITAL NOW! CLARE HAS WOKEN UP!"_

"Oh my gosh! Are you for real? How come no one fucking called me?!"

_"Gee, I dunno! Maybe it's because you changed your number, you jackass! Get here NOW!"_

"I'm on my way!"

Eli jumped off the couch and ran up the steps. He slipped off his sweats and threw on a pair of skinny jeans. He put on a T-shirt and ran out of his room. He bumped into Imogen, nearly knocking her down.

"Watch it, Eli! You could have hurt Lilly!" Imogen said, stroking the crying baby's hair. "Why are you in such a rush, anyways?"

"I-I'll explain later," Eli said, running down the steps and out of the house.

He hopped into his hearse and drove to the hospital. On the way there, he was thinking about how would he tell Imogen that he had a wife who just woken up from a coma. More importantly, how was he going to tell Clare that he married someone else?! Eli had stopped coming to visit on the day the doctor said he was going to pull the plug. He gave up all hope on Clare and tried to forget about Clare. A voice in his head told him to go to the hospital one day, but he didn't listen. Instead, Eli shook off the feeling and continue watching Lillian.

Now, he driving like a maniac- trying to get to Clare. Finally reaching his destination, Eli hopped out of the car and ran into the hospital. His heart was beating swiftly and his hands was sweating. Making his way to the front desk, he asked for Clare's room number.

Once getting the number, he made his way to her room. His heart skipped a beat when he saw his wife. Her skin was pale and her hair was matted. Her eyes weren't that pretty blue that he loved; they were lifeless and dull.

He saw Adam was there, caressing her hair. Both of them didn't notice Eli was in the room until he cleared his throat. Clare and Adam's head shot up. A smile crept across Clare's face.

"E-Eli," she said softly, "Wh-Where h-h-have y-you b-b-been?"

A sharp pain hit Eli's heart. His heart was breaking every second he watched her face. He felt another set of eyes on him. He looked over to Adam and saw he was giving him a glare. Eli gave him a slight nod and decided that it was time to tell Clare.

"U-Uh, Clare, I have something to tell you."

Clare cocked her head to the side. Then she looked at Adam who was staring at Eli. She didn't know what was going on, but she wanted to know right away.

"I-I-I-"

Adam cut Eli off by saying, "He's just really happy to see you, Clare. He can't get the words out because he's just shocked that you're awoke. We all are."

Clare cracked a smile and looked at Eli.

"Clare, are you hungry? Me and Eli are going to the cafeteria to eat."

Clare nodded her head and said, "Get me whatever you're having."

Adam nodded his head and dragged Eli out of the room with him. When they were in the hallway, Eli snatched his arm out of Adam's grip.

"The hell is wrong with you?" Eli snapped.

"No, what the hell is wrong with you? You were going to tell Clare that you're married!"

"What's so wrong with that?"

"You heartless bastard! She just got out of a coma less that an hour ago! You can't just break the news to her yet!"

"She has every right to know that I moved on, Adam!"

Adam shook his head and brushed a few strands out of his hair. "Fine, tell her on your own time."

"Why are you so upset?! You're the one who introduced me to Imogen!"

"Yeah, to get you to stop moping around! I never told you to go fucking marry the chick! _You _went to sneak and get married! _You _had a kid! All _I _did was introduce you to her! The day y'all came back from your so-called 'honeymoon', I told yo ass that this wasn't a good idea and you should divorce her 'cause you weren't ready!"

Before Eli could say something, Jake and Katie were running towards them.

"OK, can someone tell me why the hell can we hear y'all through the halls?!" Jake yelled.

Then it had hit Eli. They weren't that far from Clare's room, which means she probably heard every word they had said. Eli ran away from them and into Clare's room. She was laying there, with her mouth slightly opened.

"Clare, I-"

"Y-You're m-m-married?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all for the reviews. And once again, I would like to thank king and queen for pointing out my errors. Anyways, I wasn't so sure that this story would be good so I was a little scared writing it. Then I saw the reviews and it made me super happy. My updates might be a little suck-ish because I am SUPER sick and have to keep going to the hospital. PLUS I have tons of make-up work that I have to get to...but I keep procrastinating. I just wanted to update this chapter so I won't have to keep all my lovely fans waiting. So, Enjoy chapter 2 and leave me reviews. :)**

**BTW: I don't own Degrassi. **

**Summary: After three years of being in a coma, Clare wakes up to find out that her husband has moved on and started a new family. Can she win him back or will it be too late?**

* * *

"Y-You're m-m-married?"

Once those words escaped Clare's mouth, Eli realized it was a mistake to remarry. He watched Clare's shaking hand wipe tears off her cheek. She tried to put a smile on her face, but failed terribly.

Eli walked over to Clare and tried to put his hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off. She looked up at him with her big blue eyes and let more tears fall. She then quickly turned from him and let out little soft cries. Eli felt his heart slowly breaking. He had promised Clare that he wouldn't even look at another woman. He told her that he would always love her and only her. When they were in high school, he promised her that they would have their first child together. He told her he wanted his first and last child to be with her. He told her no one could take his heart from her. He said she was the only girl for him- that she was the only girl he wanted to marry.

Had all that been lies?

"C-Clare, I want you to know that I love you. I-I love you with all my heart. It's just that the doctors told me t-that they were going to pull the plug. I just thought that it was best-"

"Y-You thought i-it was best? F-For what E-Eli? D-Did y-y-you ever think of c-coming back to see? Huh?" Clare cried.

"No, I just thought-"

Clare interrupted Eli again. "That's the thing, Eli. Y-You're always thinking. Y-You never just do it!"

"Clare, I'm sorry. OK? W-What more do you want me to say? That I'll divorce her and then we can pick up where we left off? Be-Because I-I can't, Clare. I-I have a daughter, too."

Clare head shot up and she looked at Eli. She studied his face to see if he was lying.

Oh, how she wished he was lying.

"A-A-A daughter? Y-You have a d-daughter? How could you?" she whispered.

Clare began crying loudly. She was shaking and breathing heavily. She couldn't even look Eli in the eyes at this point. She was too hurt. She had just woken from a coma to find out her husband had re-married and had a daughter.

Was cheating the proper thing to call it? Could she say that Eli was cheating on her?

Before Eli could speak, there was a knock at the door. Doctors had come in to check on Clare. While they began cleaning her up and making sure she was alright, Eli had stepped out of the room. He couldn't find himself facing Clare again. His heart was just breaking. He had hurt her; something he had promised on not doing.

Adam walked over to Eli and shook his head. His best friend was an idiot. He told Eli repeatedly to break things off with Imogen. Adam had no idea that the doctors didn't pull the plug, but he had the slightest idea. Something in his heart was telling him that his best friend was still alive. He believed it. He just knew it. Adam kept telling Eli that Imogen wasn't right for him- that he was better off with Clare. Of course Eli just had to keep telling him, "Clare's gone, Adam! She's not coming back. She would want me to move on." Adam always told Eli, "She's alive, Eli. I can feel it." Neither one of them ever went to the hospital to check. Adam was just too afraid to find out that she wasn't there.

"I-I know I've messed up, Adam. She's gonna hate me forever," Eli cried.

"Eli, I'm not gonna try to say everything will be alright because this time I-I just don't know. But all I can say is, I told you so. I told you to break things off with Imogen before it got too serious. Y-You weren't ready and Clare wouldn't like it."

"I-I thought they pulled the plug, Adam!"

Before Adam could speak, Helen came running in the hospital along with Glen and Alli. She kept cheering, "I told them so! I told them my baby was gonna make it!" All her cheering had stopped when she had seen Eli standing there. She stormed over to him.

"What the hell are you doing here?! I told you I don't want you anywhere near my baby when she wakes up!" Helen screamed.

"I have every right to be here! And how come no one told me that Clare was still alive? How come I didn't know they weren't pulling the damn plug!?" he screamed back.

"Cause I didn't want you to know! I wanted you as far as possible away from my baby! You don't deserve her!"

Eli shook his head and walked off. He couldn't take this any more. Too much was going on. His wife had just woken from a coma, his mother-in-law hates him even more along with his best friend, and he has to tell his wife about the situation. Eli couldn't handle this. He wanted to just run away, change his name, and pretend this had never happened.

But he couldn't. He couldn't run away from his problems. He should have know that what's done in the dark must come to light. He kept Clare away from Imogen and now he would have to tell her.

...

Clare head shot up at the sound of her mother's voice. She looked over to see her mother, Glen, Jake, Adam, Katie, and Alli. Her mother ran over to her and hugged her daughter.

It felt good to be in her mother arms, again.

Tears came from both of their faces as they reunited. Clare cries sounded like muffles since her mother had her head in her breasts, hugging her tightly. She clung on to her mother, crying loudly. Helen raked her fingers through her hair and kissed the top of her daughter's head.

When they pulled apart Helen asked, "A-Are you hungry? Do you want some food?"

Clare nodded her head and tried to smiled. "Y-Yeah, mom. C-Can you get me a chicken sandwich?"

Helen smiled and nodded, more tears spilling out. She grabbed Glen's hand and the two walked out of the room, leaving just Alli, Jake, Adam, and Katie.

"We're so glad that you're OK, Clare," Katie said softly, "You don't know how much this has got to us. Jake here has cried his eyes out."

"You said you wasn't gonna tell anyone," Jake said, smiling.

Clare let out a little laugh and shook her head. She took a deep breath and turned to Alli, who was being quiet. Clare arched her eyebrow at Alli and cocked her head to the side.

"And why are you so quiet, Ms. Thing?" Clare asked.

"I-I'm just so shocked to see my best friend here. Y-You're alive and i-i-it doesn't seem real," Alli responded as tears started to spill from her eyes, "I-I've missed you so much, Clare. We all have. These few years just hasn't been the same without you."

Clare smiled and motioned Alli to come over to her. She opened her arms out widely and let her best friend fall into her arms. They hugged for a few minutes, not wanting to let each other go. Adam then walked over to them and joined the hug. He missed his best friend more than anything. Seeing her smiling after all she's been through was one of the best sights in the world.

...

Imogen was staring deeply into Eli's eyes, wondering why he had to talk to her. She had just put Lillian to bed and was tired from all the work she did around the house. She just wanted Eli to hurry and say what ever it was so she could go to bed.

Eli cleared his throat and looked at the floor. He then looked up at his _other _wife and took a deep breath. He was not ready to tell her this, but he knew he had to do it.

"Imogen, I'm married," he finally said.

Imogen let out a little small laugh and said, "Of course, silly- to me. I-Is this what you wanted to tell me?"

"Imogen, you're not understanding. I'm married. T-To someone else."

Imogen's face expression changed. She went from happy to confused. She arched her eyebrow and cocked her head to the side. She let out another laugh, thinking Eli was joking. Her laughed died out once she saw that he wasn't.

"Eli, a-are you serious? You're married?"

"Before you get all mad, I want you to know this happened about five years ago. I married my high school sweetheart. H-her name is Clare. She and I were on our way to our honeymoon, when a milk truck came crashing into us. I-I-It hit her side of the car, causing her to slip into a coma. A couple of days before I met you, the doctor said that th-they were going to pull the plug, so I stopped visiting. Then today, I-I got a call from Adam telling me that she's awake. M-My Clare is alive."

Imogen looked at Eli and stood up. She walked over to him and took a seat next to him. She grabbed Eli's hand and gave it a light squeeze.

"Eli, I-I think you need to start taking your meds again. It seems as if you're going a little...crazy? Yeah, crazy."

"Damn it, Imogen! I'm telling you the damn truth! This isn't something I'll fucking make up! I'm not that damn crazy!" Eli yelled.

Imogen let go of Eli's hand and stood up. She heard little faint cries and placed her hand on her forehead. She brushed the few strands of hair out her face and let out a loud sigh.

"Darn, Eli, you woke up the baby. I-I should go check on her," she said softly.

Eli nodded his head and watched Imogen walk up the stairs. He wasn't crazy. He knew it had a little meltdown four months after his and Imogen's marriage, which caused him to be back on his meds. He was doing better now and he planned to keep it that way.

Imogen walked back down the steps and looked at Eli. She walked over to him and shook her head.

"I-I can't believe you kept this from me, Eli. I thought we agreed about keeping secrets from each other. No secrets!"

"Imogen, I just didn't think I needed to tell you."

"And why not, Elijah?"

Eli cringed at Imogen saying his first name. He knew she knew he hated it when she said it. It was something that pissed him off more than anything.

"You know not to call me that!" he said angrily.

"And you know not to keep secrets from me, Eli. Especially something like this. Eli, you're married! You have a wife that's now just getting out of a coma. Do you know how selfish that is? You're just so selfish! Geez, Eli, I cannot believe you. W-Where is she gonna go? Are you two going to get your divorce? I-I mean, you don't have to do it now because she just got out of a coma. That would be very inconsiderate."

"D-Divorce? I never thought of getting a divorce."

"Well Eli," Imogen said walking into the kitchen, "You can't be married to the both of us. You're just gonna have to tell her that you two are getting a divorce."

"But-"

"But what, Eli? You don't wanna divorce her? I don't wanna have to put you in this situation, but it's either me or her, Eli. And before you choose, I recommend you think about your daughter."

"And why is that? It's not like you would keep me away from her?"

"Oh but I would, Eli. If you divorce me, you'll never see Lillian again."


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for the reviews. I appreciate it very much. This chapter, Imogen and Clare meets. Dun, dun, dun! Enough said, enjoy.**

**BTW: I don't own Degrassi. **

**Summary: After three years of being in a coma, Clare wakes up to find out that her husband has moved on and started a new family. Can she win him back or will it be too late?**

* * *

"Clare, we need to take you shopping and catch you up on what's been going on," Katie said.

"Taking Clare shopping? That sounds like fun! I miss dressing you up," Alli added.

The three were leaving the hospital. Clare made her mother and Glen leave the hospital, because she knew her mom needed her rest. Adam left to go talk to his girlfriend and Jake just disappeared. The girls decided to stay because they wanted to spend time with Clare. Neither one of the girls hung out, but since Clare was both of their friends they decided to give it a try. They didn't know why they didn't hang out. Katie and Alli did have things in common. Both of the girls dated Drew and he completely changed their life around.

Clare linked arms with both of her friends as they walked to Katie's car. She was happy to wake up to find the people she loved surrounding her. But deep down in her heart, she was upset. Eli had moved on and broke all of his promises. She tried to hold back her tears as she thought of everything before the accident, but she couldn't. Tears slid down her face as she thought about Eli.

"Clare we're going to-" Alli stopped in her mid sentence as she looked at her best friend, "Oh, Clare, what's wrong?"

"How could Eli just get remarried a-a-and break all of his promises to me?" she cried.

"Clare, Eli is an idiot. Adam told us about what happened at we feel really bad for you," Katie said, not taking her eyes off the road.

"Wait, y'all didn't know Eli got married?"

"Nope. We haven't seen Eli since the year of your accident. Adam said he didn't even know that Eli got married until after him and Imogen came back from their honeymoon," Alli added.

Clare shook her head and wiped the tears from her cheek. She saw Alli staring at her and she tried to put a small smile on her face to reassure her that she was OK.

"Alli, I'm fine. Let's just enjoy the car ride," Clare said, knowing that her best friend was going to ask if she was OK.

"I know, Clare, but I can't help but worry about you. I know all of this is hard on you and we just want to let you know that we're all here for you."

Clare nodded her head and looked out the window. She wanted to know who this person was. She wanted to know who was the person who stole her Eli's heart. This person had taken Eli from her and made him break all of his promises to her. Clare was devastated.

She just wanted to know.

Then, an idea popped up in her head. She wanted to face the "Imogen" that took Eli. She wanted to let her know who the _real _Mrs. Goldsworthy is.

"Hey," she whispered, causing Alli to turn around, "Can we go to Eli's house after the mall. I'm pretty sure Adam knows where it is."

...

He had to choose. Imogen or Clare? It wasn't a hard choice. No doubt he wanted to choose Clare. She was the love of his life. She was the person he wanted to be with since high school. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with Clare. She was the one he wanted to wake up to every morning. She was the one he wanted to have his first child with. He wanted to grow old with Clare.

Because of Clare, Eli was learning to be a better man. When he was going through Julia and his bi-polar issues, Clare was there... every step of the way. Even when she was going through her problems, she would be there for him. That was just the kind of female Clare was. She would help people when they were in need.

Imogen was the opposite. When Eli needed something, Imogen would say, "I can't Eli. I'm busy doing this... Or I'm busy doing that!" She never made time with Eli. Both of them was busy with Lilian, but when they wasn't - she never wanted to spend time with him.

Right now, Eli was trying to figure out all the pro's and cons of the two. Clare didn't really have any cons, but Imogen had a lot. He'll admit, he was only with Imogen because he thought Clare wasn't going to make it. He thought that she was gone... _forever_. He needed to move on. He couldn't just stay moping around over her.

He realized it was a mistake. But it was too late to back out now. If he chose Clare over Imogen, then he wouldn't be able to see Lilian. He loved Lilian with all his heart. He couldn't let his first child be taken away.

Eli walked into Lilian's room. He walked over to her crib and saw that she was wide awake. He smiled and picked her up. She let out little small noises and placed her tiny hand on Eli's lip. Eli smiled widely and kissed her hand.

"Hi, my little Lilly. I want you to know that daddy loves you so much and I'll do anything to stay in your life. I can't lose you."

Lilian looked up at him and smiled. She didn't understand what Eli was saying, but she knew she should say something. She poked his nose and said, "Da-da. Love you."

Eli smiled at Lilian and pecked her lips. "Da-da loves you too, my little Lilly. Are you hungry?"

Lilian nodded her head. Eli tickled her stomach, causing her to laugh wildly. Once he got done, he took her to the kitchen and placed her on her feet. She walked around the kitchen and then flopped on the floor. She looked up at her father and gave him a big smile.

Eli chuckled and shook his head. He grabbed the ingredients to Lillian's most favorite food: chocolate chip pancakes. In the morning, that was the only thing she liked to eat, thanks to Eli. When she was younger, he would sneak her some of his pancakes. He wanted to give her a little taste of big people's food. She enjoyed the food, too. When Imogen began feeding her regular food, Eli took it as his chance to get her liking chocolate chip pancakes. Once she learned how to talk, she began saying that she wanted pancakes.

Imogen tried to teach her to say "ma-ma" first, but Eli wasn't having it. He said it was too cliché. He wanted his daughter to say something else. He wanted her first word to be something different. After sneaking Lilly pancakes, he got an idea that pancakes should be her first word. However, Imogen was upset when Lilly said pancakes instead of ma-ma.

After making the pancakes for him and Lilian, he placed her in her high chair and placed a plate with a pancake on it. He then fixed him some pancakes and took a seat at the table. He enjoyed eating breakfast with Lilian. Eli found it quite amusing how she would get chocolate smeared on her face. He found it funny when she make little face expressions as she eat.

He couldn't lose her.

Eli didn't understand why Imogen was making things complicated. If she understood how much Clare meant to him, maybe she wouldn't make him choose. Maybe she would let him see Lilly still. She couldn't take her away from him! Lillian meant the world to him.

Imogen walked down the steps and looked at Eli. She rolled her eyes and walked over to Lilian. She kissed her on the forehead and walked towards the refrigerator. She opened it and began mumbling words.

"Imogen, you're going to have to talk to me ya know. You can't avoid me forever," Eli said, standing up and walked to her.

"Look, I told you it's either me or her. If you want Lillian in your life, you'd choose wisely," she said coldly.

"Why do you have to be such a bitch?!" he spat.

"Watch your mouth when you're around my daughter."

"_Our _daughter," Eli corrected.

"Whatever. Listen up Elijah, if you want Lilian in your life, I suggest you choose me."

"Why are you doing this? Why do you have to make things like this?"

"Because you're supposed to be with me!"

"No, I'm supposed to be with Clare!"

"So, are you telling me you're making your choice?" Imogen asked, crossing her arms around her chest.

Before Eli could respond, there was a knock at the door. Eli sighed and walked over to answer it. When he did, he couldn't believe his eyes. Standing right in front of him was Clare. She looked liked the old Clare, again.

Her hair was washed and curled. She had on a bit of makeup. She wore a light blue halter top and a pair of black skinny jeans. Eli thought she looked amazing. He thought she was the most beautiful thing his eyes laid on... besides Lilian.

"Clare, what are you doing here?" he asked, a little shocked.

"I just wanted to see you... and the woman who took you away from me."

"She's right here," Imogen said walking to the door, "I'm guessing you're Clare."

"And you're Imogen."

"Come in, Clare," Imogen said, stepping aside.

Eli gave her a confused look as Clare walked into the house. She heard a little voice yelling, "Ma-ma! Da-da, I'm done!" Her heart broke instantly. She forgot that Eli had a child. She felt her eyes tearing up, but decided to not let them fall.

"Eli, go get Lillian and get her ready for her bath," Imogen ordered. When Eli didn't move she motioned for him to go.

Eli stared at Clare for a second before exiting the living room.

"Have a seat, Clare."

"No thanks, I think I'll just stand," Clare said.

She didn't understand what Eli saw in Imogen. She was everything he didn't want in a female. Clare wondered what made Eli even choose her. What ever the case was, she just hoped that Eli would divorce Imogen and come back with her.

"Clare, it's my understanding that you and Eli are married. But guess what? Not for long. Soon, he'll be divorcing you and staying with me."

"W-Why would Eli wanna be with you?" Clare asked softly.

"It's simple, Clare. You see I have something that you don't - a child! I have a beautiful, baby daughter with him. Why would he want to leave his first child? Something that he's been dreaming of since high school."

"That dream was supposed to be with _me_," Clare said through her clenched teeth.

"You had your chance. You see, maybe this was all meant to happen. You were meant to be hit by that truck. God was testing to see if Eli would stay with you. And guess what? He didn't. He's with me now. So why don't you just move on and let someone else have their chance!"

"No one else deserves a chance with Eli! And I'm not leaving without a fight! He was mine and always will be! You don't love him like I do. I can tell he doesn't love you like he loves me!"

"And what makes you think that?" Imogen asked, growing angry.

"Well, for one, I've been with him through _everything_! I helped him get back on his feet! I was there with him through thick and thin! And for two, you can tell by the look in his eyes! When he looks at you, it's full of hate and pure disgust. When he looks at me, I can see that green color soften and I can see it's full of love! If you knew Eli like I do, you could tell all his emotions through his eyes!"

"Bull shit!" Imogen spat.

"I have no reason to lie!"

"Whatever, just stay the hell away from Eli! He's with me!"

"No, he's with me! Whether you like it or not, Imogen, Eli _will_ choose me!

...

After giving Lilian her bath, Eli put her in the crib for her nap. He walked down the stairs and heard Imogen and Clare arguing. He knew it was going to come down to this. The girls were going to make him choose. He wanted to be with Clare. Then again, he wanted Lilian in his life. Why did this have to be so hard.

He tried to go unnoticed, but Clare caught him staring at them arguing. Her eyes locked on his and she looked like she was on the verge of tears. Her eyes were cold and lifeless. She looked hurt.

Imogen eyes followed Clare's and she saw that she was looking at Eli. Anger boiled in her body and she shook her head.

"It's either me or her, Eli!" Imogen spat.

"B-Before you choose, Eli, I want you to know that I-I love you - with all my heart. I just want to be with you. W-W-We can start over and make a family of our own. Please, choose wisely."

Both eyes were staring at Eli. He heard Imogen scoff. He had to choose between Clare and Lilian, basically. He didn't want Imogen - he didn't even care about her. All he wanted was the two most important people in his life and he couldn't have it. It was either one or the other.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello people! I know I haven't been on schedule with updating but things are getting out of control. I have tons of work, projects, and barely any me time. I will update every chance I get and well . . . this is one of the chances. I want to thank all of my reviewers. You people are seriously AMAZING and I wouldn't be able to continue without y'all. So, this chapter will be a little emotional so be prepared and try to enjoy. OK? Thanks. Enjoy my Degrassi lovers!**

**BTW: I don't own Degrassi. **

**Summary: After three years of being in a coma, Clare wakes up to find out that her husband has moved on and started a new family. Can she win him back or will it be too late?**

* * *

He had to choose. Clare or Imogen. Imogen or Clare. No doubt, he wanted to be with Clare. She meant the world to him. She was his world. Never in his life had he thought about being in this situation.

Eli's hands were sweating and his heart was beating fast. He closed his eyes and wished that it was just a nightmare. He wished that when he slowly opened his eyes that he would be laying in bed next to Clare. But when he slowly opened his eyes, he saw two women standing there.

One of them had the most beautiful blue eyes. They showed perfectly that she was sad. Her facial expressions showed that she was nervous. She kept biting her lip and staring at the ground. Every few seconds she would sneak a glance at Eli.

The other woman was standing there, arms folded across her chest. One foot was tapping on the wooden floor. Her eyes and facial expression showed that she was pissed. She wanted Eli to choose and choose fast.

Then a face popped in Eli's mind. It was an angelic face; It was Lillian. He suddenly remembered that he was in this for Lillian. He needed to be there for her. After all, this was his first child.

Eli closed his eyes once again and took a deep breath.

Part of him was going to regret this while the other part wasn't.

He opened his eyes and raked his fingers through his hair.

"Well, who's it gonna be?" Imogen asked impatiently.

Eli ignored her and said, "Clare, you know I love you dearly, but I-I-I need to be with Imogen. I, uh, she did have my child. My first child and I won't leave her or the baby."

Clare mouth slightly opened in shock. She shook her head and held her hand to her chest. Tears streamed down her cheek. She took a step towards Eli and fell on her knees. She buried her face in her hands and began crying loudly. Her whole body was shaking and she started breathing heavy.

"W-Why?!" she choked out. "Why her, Eli?! She will _never _love you like I do! She will _never _be like me! I-I-I gave you my all, Eli! I gave up everything I believed in b-b-because . . ."

Her voice trailed off and she began crying more.

" . . . I love you!" she finished. "I love you so much, Eli. Words cannot even explain how much I love you! D-Did you ever love me at all!?" she screamed.

Eli walked over towards her and squatted next to her. He wrapped his arms her and held her while she cried. He felt so hurt. He felt like his world was suddenly ending. He was giving up the love of his life to be with someone he doesn't love. He was only with her because of his daughter. He didn't want to leave his daughter. She meant too much to him. Clare meant a lot too. He couldn't believe it had to be down to this.

Tiny cries filled the room. Imogen sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. She wiped her hands on her pants and walked towards the steps.

"Well, I'll let you two wrap this up. I'm going upstairs to check on Lilly," Imogen said flatly. She stomped up the steps and slammed a door behind her.

Eli kissed the top of Clare's head and raked his fingers through her hair. He rubbed her back and let tears escape from his eyes.

Words couldn't describe how he felt right now. He had hurt one person that he had not plan on hurting. She meant the world to him and now she was slowly slipping from his grasp.

It was all his fault.

He should have came to see her before they pulled the plug. He should have never went out with Adam and met Imogen. There was so many other things that he shouldn't have done, but he did. It was over and he couldn't take it back.

Clare pushed Eli off of her and stood up. She wiped the tears away from her and took a deep breath.

"Eli, I hope you're happy with your decision. I-I guess it's time for me to go now," she said softly.

"Cl-"

"No, Eli! You've made your decision! What's done is done! Y-You chose Imogen and that's who you obviously love. Y-You love her more than me. But why? What could she have possibly give you that I couldn't?!"

"Clare, I-I do love you with all my heart. You know that. Y-You mean so much to me and it hurts to have to make that decision. I didn't want to break either of your hearts-"

"But you did!" Clare spat.

"Look, Clare, I thought you were gone! T-They said that they were going t-t-to pull the plug! I just stopped coming 'cause I couldn't stand to see if you were really gone!"

"Don't give me that bull shit, Eli! You should have checked!"

"I was afraid! I-I-I didn't wanna lose you like I had lost Julia. It was my fault that she was gone and it was my fault that you were in a coma!"

"Oh here we go again with the Julia thing! Eli, she is GONE! Sh-She is _never _coming back! I'm tired you using that Julia excuse to get away with _everything_! It takes you years to get over Julia and finally be with me! But when I am in a damn coma - not dead - it takes _months_ to get over me." Clare snatched the wedding ring from her finger and threw it at Eli.

"Goodbye Elijah," Clare whispered as she walked passed him. She gave him one last look before slamming the front door behind her.

Eli stared at the door, hoping that she would come back. Tears slipped down his eyes. She was gone. Clare was out of his life. A part of him felt empty and alone. He just lost his soul mate.

...

Clare had a text from Alli telling her to meet her at the Dot. After leaving Eli's house, she practically ran there, not stopping for a moment. Her mind was racing and tears kept sliding down her cheeks.

She was heartbroken.

Imogen had won. She had took the love of her life from Clare.

What she couldn't understand was why would Eli choose Imogen. Was it because of his daughter? He could divorce Imogen and get some type of custody of his child.

Clare stopped running once she reached her destination. She ran in the Dot to see Alli sitting there with a big smile on her face. She waved Clare over and offered her some fries.

"No thanks. Not really hungry," Clare said in between breaths.

"Whoa, did you run here?"

Clare could only nodded her head. She was tired, physically and emotionally. How could Eli not choose her? She tried to put a smile on her face. She didn't want to think about Eli.

"S-So, what bring us here?" Clare asked softly.

"Well," Alli started, "Dave proposed! W-We're getting married and I want you to be the maid of honor."

All of that made Clare think of Eli. She was happy for her best friend, but she had a funny way of showing it.

"C-Congrats. I-I'm so happy for you, Alli," she said, crying.

"Oh, Clare, what's wrong?" Alli said getting out of her chair and hugging her crying best friend.

"He c-chose her!"

Alli hugged Clare tightly and sighed. "Come on Clare, let's get out of here."

She grabbed Clare's hand and pulled her out of the Dot.

"Clare, you and I are going out tonight. I'm going to help you get over Eli. You deserve so much better."

The thing was, Clare didn't want anyone but Eli. To her, he was better. She wanted him and only him. She was going to get him back. She'll do _what ever it takes_.


	5. Chapter 5

**OK. I really wanna say sorry for not updating this story. I have BAD writers block when it comes to this story! Gosh! But, since I'm on Winter Break, I'm going to update this story.**

**OK, to refresh everyone's memory - Eli chose Imogen over Clare, because Imogen threatened Eli that he'll never see his child again. Clare's heartbroken and finds out that her best friend, Ali, is getting married to Dave. **

**Now that you're caught up, here is the fifth chapter to Finding My Way Back. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Read, Review, and Enjoy! :D**

**-I don't own Degrassi-**

* * *

**One month later**

She spent her days at Adam's house since she had nowhere to go. After going a few more rounds of shopping, she had plenty of clothes. Today, Clare dressed in a white button up with a grey vest and matching grey pants. Her auburn hair, which was longer, has straightened out. She slipped on her white dressed socks and her grey flats. She walked towards her dresser and reached for her jewelry box. She grabbed her silver necklace and a pair of silver hoops. She walked out of the room and down the steps where Adam was standing.

Adam smiled warmly at her and took her hand. He led her to the couch and the two took a seat. Adam wrapped his arm around Clare's shoulder, giving her a light squeeze. She looked up at him and cracked a smile. She was still hurting and she knew Adam could tell. Her heart was broken and she felt so empty.

"Clare, I know you're heartbroken, but you have to put your worries aside for a few hours. I put in a good word for you and I want you to do good on this interview."

"I-I know, Adam. I promise I'll do great on this interview," she reassured him.

"OK. Come on, let's get you on time."

They both stood off the couch and walked towards the door. Adam opened the door, gesturing her to go first. She walked to the car, waiting for Adam to open it. Once he did, she slid in the passenger seat and buckled her seat belt. As Adam began to drive, her mind began to wonder. She stared out of the window, letting her thoughts run wild through her head. Ali had tried to find her someone, but the guys was no Eli. He was all she ever wanted. Eli was all Clare ever thought of, but she wondered if he still thought of her.

...

Eli put Lillian back in her crib after she had fell asleep peacefully in his arms. He tiptoed carefully out of her room, making sure not to wake her. He walked down the hall and into his room. He hopped on the bed and laid down, staring at the ceiling. He was so exhausted! He's been up since three a.m, making sure Lillian was OK. She was coming down with something, because she had a fever and she's been screaming her head off since. Then, Imogen has been constantly nagging him. He just wanted to rip every single strand of his hair out and scream.

"Eli!" Imogen called from down stairs, "Come here!"

Eli groaned and slipped out of bed. He walked down the steps and into the living room where Imogen was sitting. Her left leg was placed over her right and her arms was crossed over her chest. When Eli approached her, she threw a stack of papers on the table. Eli stared confusedly at her and grabbed the papers. He read threw them and slammed them on the table, giving Imogen a disbelief look.

"What the fuck is this?!" he yelled!

"You know exactly what it is, Eli and I think you should hand her those pretty soon," Imogen said coldly.

He couldn't believe Imogen took the time to do all of this. Lying on the table was divorce papers. Eli knew that this day would come, but he didn't think it would come so soon. He stood up angrily, his hands balled into a fist, and his vein was popping out.

"Sit down, Eli," Imogen said through her clench teeth.

"Why?" he growled.

"We need to talk about this. I've given you well over a month to get the divorce papers. I should have known you weren't gonna do it, so I got 'em for you."

"Imogen, you're such a-"

"Don't you dare finish that damn sentence! Gosh! I'm so damn tired of this shit! You two are getting a divorce and that's final! No more arguing. This conversation is over!" Imogen stood up and stormed up the steps.

Eli flopped on the couch and sighed. He raked his fingers through his hair. He hasn't talked to Clare in a month. How the hell was he suppose to find her? How was he going to approach her? What was he going to say? He couldn't just go up to her and say, "Hi Clare. I know you've been in a coma and I didn't give our marriage a chance, but my second wife wants us to get a divorce." That sounded stupid! He didn't want to divorce her.

He got up and walked out of the house. He needed to clear his mind. He decided that he was going to go over Adam's house. Eli hasn't heard from Adam in over a month, either. Normally the two would always contact each other, but they were a little distant now.

Eli hopped in the car, tucking the divorce papers in his pockets. He drove down the familiar route, letting his thoughts run wild. He arrived at Adam's house in twenty minutes. Before stepping out of the car, his phone rang. He looked at the caller I.D to see Imogen's name and picture flash across the screen. He groaned and picked up.

"What Imogen?" he answered.

_"Why the hell did you leave Eli?! You know I don't like for you to leave without telling me! What if I had to be somewhere today!"_

Eli sighed and hung up. He turned off his phone, not wanting to be bothered. He walked to Adam's house and rang the door bell. The door answered and revealed Adam. His hair was disheveled and his looked tired.

"What are you doing here?" he asked in a groggy voice.

"I needed someone to talk to."

"Come in."

Eli comes in and sits on the couch. Adam flops next to him and looks at Eli. Eli throws a stack of papers on the table.

After a long period of silence Adam says, "We all knew this day was gonna come."

"Adam, I don't want to divorce her."

"So don't."

"But I have to, because of Imogen."

"You should divorce her!" he hisses.

"I can't! What about Lillian?"

"What about her?"

"Imogen says I won't be able to see her if I divorce her."

"But you're the father. She can't keep you away from seeing you child."

"You don't know Imogen. She's manipulative."

Adam shakes his head and flops on the couch. Eli flops next to him and sighs. He puts his head into his hands and began crying. Adam places his hand on Eli's back and began to run soothing circles.

"Adam, I love Clare so much. God, I don't want to divorce her. W-Why did it have to come down to this?" Eli cried.

"Because-"

"Don't answer that," Eli warned.

Adam nodded his head. After a few more minutes of crying, Eli got up to leave.

"Give those to Clare," he whispers hoarsely, pointing to the papers.

Eli hugs Adam, tears still spilling from his eyes. He then walks out of the house. Adam flops back on the couch. A few seconds later, Clare comes into the house.

"Hey Adam! Guess what?" she squeals.

"What?" Adam says.

"I got the job!" Clare says jumping up and down.

Adam gets up and hugs Clare. He spins her around and kisses her forehead.

"I told you'll get it."

Clare smiles quickly fades as she looks at the table. She walks over to the table and picks up the stack of papers.

"W-What's this?" she asks softly.

"Clare-"

"I-I can't believe he's going through this!" she cried, "He's actually fucking divorcing me! He's choosing her over me!?"

"Clare, come here," Adam commands softly.

Clare walks over to Adam who's holding his arms out. Clare walks into his open arms and hugs him tightly. She cries loudly, upset that Eli was actually going through this. She knew that this day was going to come, but she wish it hadn't. She wish none of this had happened.

Ali's voice rang through her head, telling her it was time to move on. She didn't want to at first, but now she had to. She had to move on and leave Eli in the past.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi! I wanted to thank everyone for reviewing this story. I really appreciate it. I said I was going to update this story and I meant it. I know y'all are probably mad at me for making Eli chose Imogen, but don't worry.. I have something in store for y'all, don't y'all worry. Like I said in my other story, I'm planning on making another story after EClare Affair. If you have any ideas about another story, PM me or leave me a review. **

**-I don't own Degrassi-**

* * *

"Clare, stop moping around," Ali said, softly.

It was around eight o'clock at they were at the mall shopping for a dress for Ali. Clare couldn't stop moping around because Eli was on her mind. She was heartbroken and no one seemed to understand.

"Ali, my husband is divorcing me because he's married to someone else. How would you feel if that has happened to you?!" Clare snapped.

Ali opened her mouth to say something, but quickly closed it. She walked over to Clare and hugged her. She felt sorry for her friend, but she wanted her to cheer up. After all, they were going shopping for Ali's wedding. She at least wanted Clare to be happy through the shopping part. Ali thought shopping for wedding dresses was the happiest and best part of the wedding. She didn't feel very happy at this point. Clare was bringing everyone's mood down.

"Clare, we know you're hurt, but can't you put you feelings aside for Ali?" Jenna asked.

"Well, excuse the fuck out of me! I'm sorry for being so upset! You know, do the shopping without me, I'm out," Clare yelled, storming out of the place.

Tears began to stream down her face as she took her phone out of her pocket. She dialed Jake's number, wanting to talk to her brother. When he answered, she happily sighed.

_"What's wrong, Clare?"_ he answered.

"J-Jake, can you please come pick me up? I'm at the mall," she cried.

Jake agreed to pick her up. She walked to the front of the mall and waited for Jake. When he appeared twenty minutes later, she ran to the car. She hopped in and let all of her tears fall out. Her shoulders were hunched over and she was shaking hard.

"Where do you wanna go?" he asked.

"Drop me off at a bar," she says.

Jake gives her a look, but it quickly fades away. He takes Clare to a bar, asking her if she wanted him to go with her. She tells him she'll be OK and he hesitantly drives off. Clare flashes her I.D and walks into the bar, soaking in her surrounding. People were grinding against each other, others were drinking and laughing loudly.

She walked towards the bar and takes a seat. A Hispanic bartender greets her with a flashing smile. Clare blushes and smiles back. He walks towards her as he began to clean a glass.

"What can I get for ya sweetie?" he asks.

"I'll take a Strawberry Daiquiri," she answers, boldly.

Clare normally doesn't drink, but at this point she didn't care. She was losing Eli so she needed to get loose and have fun. Ali was right, she shouldn't mope around. She was hurting, but tonight she was going to push all her feelings aside and flirt with the cutie in front of her.

"Coming right up," he says.

Moments later, he comes back with a glass of the red liquid. Clare takes a sip and hums, loving how the liquor tasted. After downing the first one, she asks for more. An hour and a half later, Clare was drunk and in tears. The bartender ran from behind the counter and rushed to her side.

"Are you OK, Senorita?" he asks worriedly.

"N-No, my husband is divorcing me," she cries.

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that? My shift is over in a couple of minutes. Care to go to The Dot, get some coffee, and talk?"

"Sure," Clare slurred, "I-I'd like that."

"By the way, I'm Antonio," he said, holding out his hand.

"Clare," she said, shaking his hand.

Antonio took Clare's hand and brought it to his lips, kissing hand. She blushed as he let go of her hand and went back behind the counter. When his co-worker came, he went to the back and changed. He went back up front and grabbed Clare. They began walking and talking, until they got to his car. They hopped in the car and drove off to The Dot.

When they arrived, they got out the car and walked into The Dot. They took a seat and waited for the waiter to take their order. When the waiter came, they both ordered a coffee.

"Tell me what happened, Love," he says, calmly.

"Well, I recently just got out of a coma. And uh, before I got into one, I was heading to my honeymoon with my husband. A truck crashed on my side, knocking me pretty hard. Thank God, it was just a coma. Anyways, the doctor told my husband that they were going to pull the plug so he stopped coming. H-He moved on, got married, a-a-and had a child. When I got out of the coma, his wife- who had not clue about me at first- told him that he had to divorce me to stay with his child."

Antonio shook his head. He scooted his chair close to Clare and let her cry on his shoulder. He stroked her hair and gripped her tighter.

"You're so beautiful, Clare. Any man would be a fool to lose you," he said softly.

Clare stared into Antonio eyes. She would have never went out with a stranger, but this was different. Antonio wasn't trying to get into her pants and using a corny pickup line to get her to notice him. Maybe this was a sign. Maybe this was a way of saying move on.

Her phone began ringing. She picked it up and saw Adam was calling.

_"Clare, Jenna and Ali said you left the mall about an hour ago! Where are you?!"_

"I went to a bar, met a guy, and now I'm at The Dot."

_"Stay there. I'm on my way."_

Clare smiled and hung up.

"Sorry, that was my best friend," she says.

"He sounds upset," Antonio pointed out.

"He's just very protective over me."

"Oh, I see. Clare, I would really like to get to know more of you."

"Me too, Antonio," Clare agreed, smiling.

...

Eli was on the couch, watching Dora The Explorer with Lillian, who was jumping around. Imogen walked down the steps, yawning. She sat on the couch and laid her head on Eli's shoulder.

"Did you take care of it?" she asked sleepily.

"Yup."

"I know you're upset babe, but it's for the best."

"Uh huh."

"Well, I'm going to take Lilly to bed. I'll see you when you come up," Imogen grabbed Lillian and took her up the steps.

"Good night daddy," Lillian called out.

"Good night, pumpkin," Eli said as they disappeared up the steps.

He laid out on the couch and changed the channel to a movie. He curled up on the couch and sighed heavily. He should have listened to Adam. He shouldn't have married Imogen, but he didn't listen. He just wanted to get over Clare.

He thought about when Clare said it took him a long time to get over Julia, but it didn't take that long to get over her. He felt guilty. He wish he could take it all back, but he couldn't. He knew Adam still talked to her, but he wondered where she was staying. He missed her, he wanted to be with her. He loved Clare so much and divorcing her was going to be the hardest thing he has done.


	7. Chapter 7

**Wow. So, Antonio and Clare? How long will they last? Well, we'll see about that. Eli and Imogen? What is going on with them? Do you think everything will fall into place and Eli will forget about Clare? Read to find out! Enjoy!**

**-I don't own Degrassi-**

* * *

It's been a wonderful month for Clare. She's been spending all of her time with the amazing Antonio. He's been taking her mind off of Eli and she was glad of it. Today, she was walking around the house her and Adam shared. Her hair was in a messy bun and her attire was a tank top with a pair of jogging pants. She had a magazine in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. She took a seat on the couch and began reading the newspaper.

It was a nice Thursday. She was glad her boss, Clay, has given her the day off. He told her that she's been working her ass off since she's been there. She stayed extra hours and even helped out with some of the boss's assignments. Clare was glad when Clay told her she was a gifted writer. It made her feel proud. She was glad that Adam helped her with this job.

She placed her cup on the table and stared at the untouched papers that were scattered on the table. She reached for the papers and looked them over. She saw that Eli has signed his part of the divorce papers. Now, it was her turn. She grabbed a pen and angrily signed the papers. She deserved to be happy and free. After signing the papers she placed them back on the table and stared at them.

Her phone buzzed and she saw that she had a text from Antonio, telling her that he would pick her up at seven tonight. She bit her lip and began blushing. Just then Adam walked down the steps and arched his eyebrow up at her.

"What's got you blushing?" he asked.

"Antonio is coming to get me tonight. I think he's going to ask me to be his girlfriend."

"Really? So soon?"

"Adam, I really like him. He's been nothing but wonderful to me."

"But you're not over Eli, Clare."

"Adam, Eli is married to someone else! He sent me divorce papers to prove to me that he doesn't want to stay with me. Don't you think I deserve to move on and be happy?"

Adam nodded his head slowly. Clare was right. She deserved to be happy, but he didn't want it with anyone else but Eli. He loved them together. They were the perfect couple. In high school, he thought they were the best couple ever. He always wanted to have a relationship like those two.

"Well, it is only eleven a.m. I'm going for a jog," she said, standing up.

"OK," Adam said, watching Clare clean up her mess and walk out the door.

He sighed and turned on the TV. He picked up the stack of papers that were neatly stacked on the table. Adam knew that Clare has gotten to the papers, because it was in a pile at first. He flipped through the papers to see that Clare has signed the papers. It was final. They were getting a divorce.

...

Eli was laying in the bed, cuddling with Imogen. Her head was on his chest while his arms were wrapped around her. The covers were tightly wrapped around their bodies since they were both naked. Eli kissed the top of her head and smiled.

His phone began buzzing and he reached over, earning a groan from Imogen. He grabbed his phone and saw Adam's name flashing on the screen.

"Hello?" he said in a groggy voice.

_"She signed them."_

"Who signed what?"

_"Clare signed the divorce papers. Come get them around six tonight."_

"Why six? Why can't I get them now?"

_"Because, I'm going to see my parents and I'll be back around five."_

"Alright. See you in a few hours then."

Eli hung up and placed his phone on the table. He turned his attention back to Imogen, who was facing him now.

"Who was that?" she asked.

"Adam."

"What did he want?"

"For me to come over later."

"Why?"

"To get the papers Clare signed."

"Oh, thank goodness! It's been a month now! It's about damn time."

Eli sighed and nodded his head. It was final. Him and Clare were going to be legally divorced. He rolled out of bed, exposing his bare ass. He bent over to grab his boxers and slipped them on. He heard Imogen calling after him as he walked out of the room, but he ignored her. He wasn't in the mood to be bothered. Al he could think about was Clare. Why did she sign the papers all of a sudden?

He walked into Lilly's room and scooped her into his arms. He just wanted to hold her now and not think about anything bad. He wanted to forget all of his worries and focus on his little girl.

"Da-da?" Lillian said sleepily.

"Shh, go back to sleep Lilly," he whispered as he gently began to rock Lillian.

...

It was around six fifty-five when Eli arrived at Adam's house. He rang the doorbell and was expecting to see Adam standing there, but he got the opposite. Clare was standing there, her hair pinned up into a nice bun. She wore a red silk dress, that clung to her body, showing every curve that she had. The dress had a v-shaped neckline, showing her creamy white breasts. She had on a red necklace and matching earrings that dangled. A pair of opened-toed heels adorned her feet.

She looked so beautiful. But wait. . . what was she doing at Adam's house. Why was she answering Adam's door and why the hell was she dressed like that?! Was her and Adam dating?

"Clare, what are you doing here?" he finally asked.

"I-I live here now."

"So you and Adam are like an item now?"

"Hey Clare, ready to go?"

Clare smiled and blushed as she nodded her. She linked her arms with the guy and kissed him on the cheek.

"Who the hell is this?" Eli growled.

"Antonio, this is Eli. Eli, this is my date, Antonio."


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you to everyone who is reading this story and thanks for the reviews. 'goldsworthys', thank you for giving this story a chance. I'm glad you're liking it so far. And for the record, I have NEVER seen The Vow... so... I didn't know it was like that.**

**Anyways, I was too upset about EClare 'taking a break'. Where is Adam through all this?! He NEEDS to knock some sense into Eli. OK, enjoy the next chapter. **

**-I don't own Degrassi- I also don't own the lyrics to this song. Lee Ann Womack owns these lyrics... I think. **

* * *

"Antonio, this is Eli. Eli, this is my date, Antonio."

Eli scoffed as Antonio held out his hand for Eli to shake. Eli turned away from Antonio and focused on Clare. He folded his arms across his chest and tapped his foot on the concrete.

"So, this is what you've done for the past month? You've been fucking a Hispanic person?!" Eli roared.

Clare gasped and seconds later her hand came in contact with Eli's cheek. Eli held his hand to his cheek and looked up at Clare. He saw anger and hurt in her eyes. He knew that he had crossed the line, but it was too late. He had already said what he thought and he couldn't take it back.

"Even if I did have sex with Antonio, it would be none of your damn business! Have a nice life dumb ass! Come on, Antonio," Clare said, grabbing Antonio's hand and pulling him away.

Eli turned around and saw Adam standing there, shaking his head. Before Eli could say something, Adam held his hand up to silence him. He gestured for Eli to come in. Eli hesitantly stepped in the house. Normally, he would have a good vibe coming into this house. This time, he didn't. Knowing that Clare was staying here felt weird. Now he could smell her sweet scent through the house.

"Eli, why would you say that?" Adam asked, finally.

"Why didn't you tell me Clare was staying here?" Eli argued.

"She told me not to."

"I don't care what she told you! I'm your damn best friend!"

"Yeah and she is, too, Elijah! I don't know what the hell is wrong with you, but you need to get your life together."

"Don't tell me what the hell I need to do! I just wish you would've told me that she was staying here! That's what best friends do, Adam!"

"Look, Eli, I'm sorry that I couldn't tell you this. I wish I could have, but I couldn't! I don't want to be in the middle of y'all argument. Here," Adam said shoving the divorce papers at Eli, "Take these and go cool off. Call me when you're actually OK."

Eli stared at the papers before snatching them out of Adam's hand. He stormed over towards the door, opened it and walked out, slamming the door behind him. He walked over towards his car, unlocked it, hopped in, and drove off. His mind was racing with thoughts of Clare and things Adam said. He did need to cool off. Right now, he wasn't thinking clearly. He just said something that he shouldn't have said to Clare.

Then, he took his anger out on Adam. Adam was doing the right thing by not telling Eli where Clare was staying. Eli would have tried to come see her ever chance he got. Deep down, he just wished Adam did tell him that Clare was staying with him. At least he would've known that Clare was safe.

Eli pulled up into his driveway. Before getting out of the car, he turned it off. He walked up the porch steps and unlocked his front door. He slowly opened it and walked in the house, quietly closing the door behind him. He turned around to see Imogen standing there with Lillian in her arms. He jumped and let out a little scream, holding his chest.

"Damn, Imogen, you scared the hell out of me!" Eli said.

"Watch your mouth. Where were you?" Imogen asked.

"Went to get the papers and had a little talk with Adam."

"About?"

"Nothing, Imogen."

"Fine. I'm going to give Lilly her bath."

"OK, I'm going to get something to snack on then I'll be in bed."

"Kay," Imogen said, walking up the steps.

Eli walked into the kitchen and looked through the cabinets to find something to snack on. He grabbed a bag of potato chips and opened them. He stuffed his mouth with the salty chips before getting full and placing them back in the cabinet. He opened the refrigerator and grabbed a water bottle. He twisted the cap open and chugged the water down. He tossed the empty bottle in the trash and headed up the steps.

As he walked past the bathroom, he heard Imogen singing along to the radio. Eli slowly walked closer to the door and pushed open the door a little. He peeked in and saw Imogen sitting on the edge of the tub, caressing Lilly's hair as she continued to sing.

_I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean._

_Whenever one door closes I hope more opens._

_Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,_

_And when you get the chance to sit it out or dance_

_I hope you dance, I hope you dance._

Eli smiled to himself, loving how Imogen sounded as she softly sung the song. This song was one of his favorite songs. When Eli and Imogen first met, they went out of the dance floor and danced. Then, this song came on and Imogen got excited. As her and Eli slow danced, she began to sing it to him. When Eli asked her out on a date, they went on a romantic trip to the beach. When Eli went to turn on the radio, that same song came on. Once again, they slow danced and Imogen sung to him.

That was when Eli started falling for her. He had to admit, he had forgotten about Clare that day. From that day on, he realized that it was time to move on and that Imogen might have been the one for him.

Maybe this is the way it was supposed to be. Maybe Eli and Imogen were meant for each other.

...

Clare was sitting on the swing, enjoying the breeze she was getting. After Antonio took her out to a nice, fancy restaurant, they two went to the park across from it. Antonio listened to Clare vent about Eli. To her surprise, he didn't mind. He comforted her and made her smile. Antonio walked over towards his car, turned it on, and began flicking through the radio stations.

_I Hope You Dance_, by Lee Ann Womack came on.

"Have you ever heard this song?" Antonio asked.

"Nope."

"You'll like it. Too bad we didn't catch it from the beginning. But I think you'll like this part. Listen."

_I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance._

_Never settle for the path of least resistance._

_Livin' might mean takin' chances, but they're worth takin'._

_Lovin' might be a mistake, but it's worth makin'._

_Don't let some Hellbent heart leave you bitter._

_When you come close to sellin' out, reconsider._

_Give the heavens about more than just a passing glance,_

_And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance..._

_I hope you dance,_

_I hope you dance._

"Clare," Antonio said softly, walking towards Clare.

Clare hopped off the swing and met Antonio halfway. Antonio wrapped his arms around Clare, bringing her closer to him. Clare laid her head on his shoulder, feeling his breath tickle her skin. The night was perfect. The wind was blowing, but not too hard. The stars twinkled above in the night sky.

"This past month has been wonderful. I am really grateful that I met you, Clare. Look, I know that you haven't fully gone through a divorce, but I want us together. Y-You don't have to give me the answer right away, but think about it."

"Antonio, I would love to be your girlfriend. I don't need to do any thinking."

A huge smile spread across Antonio's lips. He picked Clare up, spun her around, and captured a kiss on her lips. Once he set Clare down, she had a surprised look on her face. It felt weird to kiss someone after Eli. Once upon a time, she promised Eli that her lips was his. She told him that her lips would never be on another man. That was all over now. He was married and she deserved to move on.

She grabbed Antonio's collar and pulled him into a forceful kiss. Antonio smirked between the kiss, making Clare giggle a little. As the music continued to play softly in the background, the two lips were locked on each other. After breaking the kiss, Clare stayed in Antonio's arms. It felt a little weird, but she was happy.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello. For those of you who are reviewing this story... thanks. I really, really, REALLY appreciate it. I'm glad you all are giving this story a chance. And if you haven't - I think you should read my other story, Fall. It's a nice story and I would appreciate more reviews on it. OK? Thanks.**

**-I don't own Degrassi- **

* * *

Clare eyes slowly fluttered opened. She winced as the sunlight burned her eyes. She quickly shut them only to open them again. She sat up and looked around at the unfamiliar surrounding. She wasn't at her and Adam's house. She wasn't in her brightly, pink room. She was in a different room.

The walls were a dark blue and it smelled like cologne. There were pictures perfectly decorated all around the walls. She looked up to see the door open and in walked Antonio with a tray of food in his hands. His wonderful smile lit up as he saw Clare.

"Good morning, beautiful," he said, "I made breakfast."

"Smells very delicious," Clare smiled.

Antonio sat the tray on the bed and sat next to Clare. The tray had a nice stack of pancakes with syrup slowly oozing down. There was a nice amount of eggs on the side. Another plate had a few strips on crisp bacon and a row of sausage links. There were two small glasses of orange juice.

Clare smiled widened. She was surprised that Antonio made all of this. It had never occurred to her that he could cook. He never seemed like that type.

She picked up a fork and took a scoop of the eggs. Clare looked over at Antonio and smiled. The eggs were flavorful. Next she dug in to the pancakes. They were so fluffy and delicious.

"This breakfast is wonderful. You have to cook dinner for me one day," she said, taking a sip of orange juice.

"That's actually on my agenda tonight before I take you back to your place. I want to cook a special dinner for the two of us."

This was too perfect! Antonio was everything Clare needed at this point. He was kind, gentle, loving, and he cooked for her. This was like a little dream that she never wanted to wake up from. A little piece of her wished that this was Eli instead. This was supposed to be him. He was supposed to be the one she'd wake up to. He was supposed to be the one to make her breakfast in bed. She did miss him. After all, he was her first at a lot of things.

Antonio must have noticed Clare was deep into her thinking, because he grabbed her chin and turned it towards him. His brown eyes were full with worry.

"What's wrong, love?" he asked.

"N-Nothing," she lied.

"Clare, talk to me. I know there is something up."

Clare sighed as a tear slipped from her eyes. She wiped it away and tried not to make the other tears fall.

"I-It's so hard to forget about him."

Antonio closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He let go of Clare's chin and grabbed the tray. He sat it on the night stand and turned towards Clare.

"Look, honey, I know it's hard. I don't know how it feels, but I know it's hard. It's going to take some time to forget about him, because he was your love back in high school. You married him. Clare, you can't expect to forget about him that easily. Just because you're in another relationship doesn't mean all feelings for Eli will fade away."

Clare nodded her head slowly, taking in what Antonio is saying to her. He was right. Those feelings were not going to fade away. It was going to take some time for those feelings to go away. She wished that they would just disappear over night. She didn't want to think about him, because she knew that he wasn't thinking about her. She didn't want to feel guilty for moving on and kissing another man, because she knew that Eli wasn't feeling the same way. He chose Imogen with no hesitation. He proudly moved on.

Clare was doing the same. Eli would always have a special spot in her heart. There was no doubt about it, but she didn't want to keep crying over him.

"Clare, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Are you with me to get rid of those feelings you have for him?"

Clare felt bad. She didn't want Antonio to think she was only with him to take away the feelings she had for Eli. That wasn't the case. She really did like Antonio and wanted to be with him because he understands her. He makes her feel like a completely different person.

"Oh God, no. Antonio, I'm sorry if I made it seem that way, but that is not the reason I'm with you. I really do like you and I want to be with you. You seem to understand me and you chose to be with me, even through my toughest time."

Antonio smiled and cupped Clare's face. He placed a gentle kiss upon her lips. When he pulled apart, Clare blushed.

"You're so adorable when you blush," he said, softly.

Clare blushed even harder. She leaned in for another kiss and Antonio happily accepted. Clare raked her fingers through Antonio's spiky, black hair. They slowly began laying back on the bed, not breaking the kiss.

...

Eli strapped Lillian in the car seat. He closed the door and saw Imogen walking towards the car with bags in her hand. She walked over towards Eli and popped the trunk open. Eli grabbed the bags and placed them in the trunk.

Imogen got a call from her father's doctor and needed to be with him for a few weeks. She was taking Lillian with her, because her father and mother wanted to see her.

"Eli, try not to burn down the house," Imogen joked.

"Ha-ha! I'll order takeout," Eli smirked.

"OK, I'll call you when we get there and I'll let you know how everything is going," she said, placing a kiss on his lips.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you, too. Bye, little Lilly."

Lillian waved and began smiling. Imogen got in the car and turned it on. Eli back away from the car as Imogen backed out of the driveway. Eli waved as they drove off.

Eli walked in the house and sat on the couch. He took his cell out of his pocket and dialed Adam's number. After the third ring, Adam answered. There was a little music in the background and there was a lot of laughter.

"Yo, Eli. Wassup?" Adam answered.

"Nothing. I have the house all to myself. What ya up to?"

"Just chillin' with Drew, Bianca, Fiona, Jake, and Katie."

"Oh, where? I'll join."

"Uh, we're at Little Miss Steaks."

"OK. I'm on my way," Eli said, hanging up.

...

After Eli hung up, the table gave Adam stares. Adam tried desperately to hide his face behind the menu to avoid the stares, but it was as if those eyes were burning a hole through the menu.

"Why did you tell him?!" Katie hissed.

Adam knew that Eli wasn't their favorite person, but that was his best friend. Sure, Eli was a little off, but he didn't care. He knew that Eli couldn't help the way he was. He's been dealing with that for years.

"Things were just getting fun, now you had to invite that motherfucker here," Jake growled.

"Look, Eli is my best friend. I know you two don't like him, but chill."

"Don't tell us to chill! Do you know what he did to my sister-in-law?! He hurt her!" Katie argued.

"Yes, but Clare is doing fine now. She's moving on and she's over him."

"Clare moved on?! To who?" Jake asked.

Adam shook his head and decided it was best to keep his mouth shut. He didn't want to say anything else, until Eli showed. Of course, everyone at the table kept bugging Adam for the information, but he didn't spill. Eli showed up minutes later and the table grew quiet. Everyone stared at Eli awkwardly.

"Uh, hey, guys," Eli said.

"Hey, Eli," they said in unison.

"Mind if I take a seat?"

"Go ahead," Adam said.

Everyone stared at Adam as Eli sat down. This day was just going to be awkward.

...

It was eight o'clock when Antonio dropped Clare off. There were a few unfamiliar cars parked in front of the house. Clare looked over at Antonio and kissed him on the cheek.

"I had a wonderful day, Antonio," she said.

"Same here. I wish it didn't have to end."

"Walk me to the door?" Clare asked.

Antonio nodded his head. He turned off the car and got out of the car. He grabbed Clare's hand as they walked to the front porch. Before unlocking the door, Clare grabbed Antonio and pulled him into a kiss. Their tongues snaked around each other as the kiss deepened. Clare's arms were draped over Antonio's shoulder as Antonio's arms were wrapped around Clare's waist.

The door swung opened and neither noticed it until they heard a gasp. Clare and Antonio immediately broke apart. They turned around to see Katie and Jake standing there.

Clare blushed and waved awkwardly.

"Care to introduce us?" Jake asked.

"Uh, Katie and Jake, this is my boyfriend Antonio. Antonio, this is my brother, Jake and my sister-in-law, Katie."

They exchanged hello's. Then, Antonio kissed Clare's cheek and left. Katie and Jake stared at Clare for a few seconds.

"Clare, I'll call you tomorrow. We need to talk," Katie finally said.

"OK. See ya," Clare said.

Clare watched as Jake and Katie walked off the porch. They got in their car and drove off. Clare walked in the house to see Eli sitting on the couch. He was talking to Adam until his eyes caught hers. Clare smiled awkwardly and walked passed them, not wanting to be down here.

"Hello, Clare," Eli said as Clare reached the steps.

She slowly turned around and put a fake smile on her face.

"H-Hi, Eli."

"Can we talk for a sec?" he asked.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Adam said.

Eli glared at Adam.

"Adam's right, Eli. I-I don't think it's a good idea. I'm kind of tired and I just want to get some rest for work tomorrow."

Clare saw how Eli looked slightly disappointed. He lowered his head and nodded. Clare sighed and closed her eyes. She raked her fingers through her hair.

"Um, how about we meet at The Dot tomorrow around five," she suggested.

"Sure, that sounds great."

"OK."

Clare smiled and walked up the steps. Was this a bad idea? Should she really go to see Eli tomorrow?


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi, hi! Thank you all for the reviews. Did anyone enjoy the last episode? I kind of didn't. It wasn't what I expected. Then I have to wait until June for the graduation. *cries* I am sooo not ready. I don't want them to graduate... But gosh. Jake did look fiiiineee in that suit. Mmm. OK, now I'm rambling. Enjoy.**

**-I don't own Degrassi- **

* * *

He woke up around five in the morning and has been up ever since. He wondered how it was going to go today. He was going out to meet Clare; he was nervous. This is what he wanted, but why did he feel like backing out? Why didn't he want to go talk to Clare? Why _did _he want to talk to Clare? She was pissed at him for choosing Imogen and he was pissed at her for moving on without hesitation. Is this what he wanted?

Yes, this is exactly what he wanted. If they weren't going to get back together, he at least wanted her in his life. It was going to be painful to not kiss her, hold her, and tell her how much he loved her. It was going to be hard to look deeply into her blue eyes and tell her how lucky he was to be with her. Why did he mess up everything?

Eli finally got out of bed and walked into the bathroom. After doing his morning routine he walked out of the bathroom with the towel wrapped around his soaked body. His phone beeped and he walked towards the night stand to get it. He had four missed calls and ten messages. All of them were from Imogen. He dialed her number and she picked up after the first ring.

"_Gosh, Eli. It took you long enough_," she answered annoyed.

"Hello sweetheart. I'm doing fine, how are you?" Eli said sarcastically.

"_Don't start with me, Eli. I just wanted to say that my father is doing terrible. He's not making any progress. I don't know if he's going to make it. We might be here for a while. I-I would like it if you'll come down here soon. It would mean the world to me if I had my husband by my side._"

"Sure. I'll try to drive there this weekend. I just have to check in with my job and see."

"_For crying out loud, Eli, you write and direct plays. That's not a hard job, I'm sure they'll let you come._"

"Imogen," Eli said sighing, "Why do you always start with me? Why can't we ever have a good conversation without you saying stuff to piss me off? This marriage isn't suppose to be all about arguing, but so far you're making it seem like it is."

"_I'm sorry, Eli. I'm just stressed now. I'm not trying to take it out on you, honestly. Look, I have to go. Call me later and let me know what your job says. I-I love you._"

"Love you, too," Eli said before hanging up.

He tossed his phone down and let his towel drop. He kicked it aside and walked over towards his closet. He decided to wear a black V-Neck and a pair of grey pants. He raked his fingers through his wet hair before placing his underwear on. Then, he slipped on his pants, followed by his shirt. He walked over towards his dresser and grabbed a pair of socks to put on.

Eli heard his stomach growl. He decided to go downstairs and fix him some cereal. He sat in silence as he munched on his cereal. This was good. It felt nice to have the house to himself. Although he missed Lilly, he needed a break away from her and Imogen. Sometimes, it was hard taking care of a kid. They cried a lot, you had to give them all the attention, and they kept you up. Eli hasn't gotten much sleep until they were gone. Now he slept like a baby.

Lilly was nothing like Imogen, though. That he was glad of. Imogen always got under his skin. She always knew what to say to piss him off. His day could go swell and as soon as she walks in, everything falls apart. She always uses her being stressed as an excuse for her attitude. He was stressed, too! Do you know how hard it is for him to control his emotions? Do you know how hard it is to try not to explode? Because of her, he had to start back taking his pills. She drove him crazy!

Lately he wondered why he just didn't choose Clare. Sure, Imogen said she was going to keep Lillian away from him, but he wasn't going to let that happen. After all, Lilly was his child. Why would she keep Lilly away from her father?

Imogen wasn't always so cold. It started after she had Lillian. Every little thing Eli did pissed her off. He would break his back for her and it still wasn't good enough. He was fed up, but never had the guts to leave her. He was afraid of being alone. Now, he wished he would have left her. That way he would be with Clare and wouldn't have to worry about her.

Why didn't he listen to Adam the first time?

...

Clare had just finished filing papers for her boss. She glanced over at the clock to see it was four-thirty. She would be off work in thirty minutes. Then, she was going to go meet Eli. She was a little nervous. It felt a little weird to go see Eli, but she was going to do it. She wanted to know what he wanted to talk to her about.

Why did things have to be like this? Why couldn't Eli just come back just to make sure she was OK? They would have never been in this mess. She could be with him and their kids now.

"Clare, are you all set?" her boss, Mr. Rogers called out.

Clare turned around to face him. She nodded her head, her curls bouncing as she did so. He smiled at her and gave her a little nod.

"Good. You have been a wonderful intern, Clare. I'm glad your friend recommended you. We needed someone like you here."

"Thank you, sir," she said, smiling widely.

"I'm going to go in my office and think about giving you a promotion. You, however, can leave early. I'll see you bright and early tomorrow."

"Gee, thank you so much, Mr. Rogers."

She watched as Mr. Rogers walked away before grabbing her coat and purse. Then, she walked out of the building and over towards her car. She hopped in and drove off to The Dot. When she got there, she thought Eli wasn't going to be there, because it was only four-forty. She got the complete opposite. Eli was sitting there, browsing through the menu. She knew he was doing it so he wouldn't seem weird just sitting there. The two of them knew the menu by heart.

Clare hesitantly walked over towards the table. She cleared her throat and Eli lowered the menu to look at her. She watched him place the menu on the table. A smile, a bright smile, spread across his face. She saw his green eyes light up. She hadn't seen that in a while. She missed that.

She took a seat and smiled back at him. Then, the two sat in uncomfortable silence. Neither knew how to get the conversation to start. The waiter came over seconds later to break the silence.

"Hello, what can I get for the lovely couple today?" he asked.

"Oh no, we're not a-" Clare was cut off by Eli.

"I would like a cup of coffee, black, and some sugar packets. For the lovely lady, an iced mocha with a banana nut muffin."

"Coming right up," the waiter said, walking away.

"Eli, you remember," Clare said, smiling and blushing.

"Of course, Clare. There's a lot of things I remember about you."

Then it happened. Those old feelings began to come back as they stared intensely into each other eyes. Eli took it as a chance to tell Clare why he wanted her here.

"Clare, look, these past months has been hectic. I-I wish I could take them all back, but I can't. You and I will be getting an official divorce soon, but that doesn't mean we can't still hang out. What I'm trying to say is, I want us to be friends. I might not have you as a wife anymore, but I want you in my life. What do you say?"

There was a long silence. Eli stared curiously at Clare, wondering what her decision was going to be. Was this too much for her?

"Eli," Clare finally spoke, "I'm willing to give it a try, but I won't like it. The way things have been lately has been very... hectic. I won't be able to handle you talking about your marriage, but I'll manage. So, OK, I'm saying yes."

Eli smiled widely. He was glad he had Clare in his life still. Things were going to be good for a while. This made him feel a lot better.

"OK," the waiter said coming over with a tray, "Here's your coffee and here is your iced mocha with your muffin."

"Thank you," Eli and Clare said in unison.

They sat in silence as they drank their drink. As Clare began to eat her muffin, her phone went off. She answered it without looking at the caller I.D. Eli stared at her as he tried desperately to listen to the full conversation. He wanted to know who the other person was on the phone. Seconds later, Clare was off the phone. She dug into her purse and pulled out some money.

"Sorry to make this a little short, but I have to go. Here's the money for my part," Clare said, standing up.

"Put your money up, Clare. You know I don't like you paying."

"I know, but-"

"No buts Clare. I'll pay. It's the least I can do, since you gave me some of your time."

Clare cocked her head a little and smiled. She didn't know what she would do without Eli. He had an effect on her that no one else had.

"See you later, Clare," he said, as he watched her walk towards the door.

"See you later, _friend_," Clare said smirking as she walked out of The Dot.

Friend. This was going to be one awkward, painful friendship.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello. Happy Memorial Day to all of those who has served for our country and for those who are still serving. Sorry I haven't been updating. My updates will be a little crazy until the summer. I want to thank all of you for the reviews and I want to thank you for giving this story a chance. Pretty soon there will be sexual content, so brace yourselves. We all know I'm not that good at writing that. Another thing, I kind want to make another story. I just don't know what I want it to be. Any ideas? Help! Anyways, enjoy! (:**

**-I don't own Degrassi- **

* * *

Clare watched Antonio as he carefully chopped the carrots. She loved watching him cook. His facial expression shows how much he's really into cooking. She loved how he took his time and made sure everything was perfect.

These past days has been great. Ever since her little meeting with Eli, things has been running smoothly. They talk nonstop and she actually enjoys it. She hasn't told Antonio, yet, because she thinks he'll overreact. It's beginning to bother her, though. She feels guilty for talking to Eli and not telling Antonio about it. She began to have a little debate in her head about it. After a few minutes of thinking, she decided she was going to tell him. She took a deep breath before clearing her throat.

"Uh, Antonio, I have something I have to tell you," she said.

"What is it, love?" he asked, sitting the knife down.

"Eli and I are back talking, as friends."

"Is this what you want?"

"Yes, Eli has always been a big part of my life. I'm not ready to lose him completely."

Antonio nodded his head slowly. He walked over to Clare and placed a kiss on her forehead. Clare's heart was pounding against her chest.

"OK, Clare, I trust you."

Clare smiled widely and flung her arms around Antonio. She placed a soft kiss on his lips. She was happy Antonio said he trusted her. She was happy that he didn't angry about her talking to Eli.

"You are an amazing guy, Antonio."

"And you are an angel, Clare. I'm so lucky to have you."

Clare felt like everything was suddenly great. She had a great boyfriend, Eli was back in her life, and she had wonderful friends and family. Things weren't exactly the way she wanted it to be, but this was simply nice.

Antonio kissed Clare one more time before going back to cooking. Clare just laid against the counter and watched him. This was nice. She was starting to fall for Antonio.

...

Eli finished packing his bag. He checked his phone for the time before placing it in his pocket. Eli grabbed his bag and walked down the steps. He grabbed his keys and left the house.

He was going to spend the week with Imogen and her family. As much as he hated to, he knew this was important to Imogen. Her father was very sick and there was a possible chance he won't make it. Though Imogen's father doesn't like Eli, he hates the fact he's sick.

He made it to the Moreno's household in an hour. As he got out the car, the door opened. Imogen was standing there with Lillian at her side. Lillian let go of Imogen's hand and ran towards Eli.

"Daddy!" she cried out.

Eli dropped down to his knees and held his arms opened for Lillian jump into them. He tightly wrapped his arms around his baby and showered her with wet kisses. Lillian was laughing wildly between the kisses. She began to squirm as Eli started to tickle her.

"Daddy, stop!" she managed to choke out.

Eli stopped tickling here and looked up at her. She was so beautiful, with her long black hair and her soft blue eyes. She had rosy, pink, chubby cheeks that Eli adored. He loved her so much. Lillian is his world. He would do anything for her.

Imogen cleared her throat as she walked off the porch. Eli looked up at her and decided to stand up. He shoved his hands in his pockets as Imogen walked closely to him. Her lips slightly tugged into a smile once she approached him.

"Hello, Eli," she said coolly.

"Hi, sweetheart," Eli said as he opened his arms.

Imogen blushed and gave Eli a hug. It felt nice to have Imogen in his arms, again. With all the fighting and the arguing, he missed having her in his arms. She was really a nice person, when she wasn't being so evil. When she had her nice days, Eli suddenly remembered why he married her.

All of a sudden, Eli heard sniffling. He pulled apart and looked at Imogen. Her eyes were red and tears were falling down her cheeks.

"Eli, my dad's dying," she cried.

"Oh, Imogen, I-"

"I-I can't believe he's dying and they can't do anything to help him."

"What's wrong with him?"

"They took him to the hospital twenty minutes ago. They're going to find out what's wrong with him. I-I didn't want to leave yet, because I have Lilly and I can't let her see her grandpa like that. Hell, I barely want to see him like that."

"Look, if you want to go see your father, go ahead honey. If not, let me take you and Lilly out, as a family."

Imogen stared at Eli, tears still falling down her face. Her had slowly reached Eli's face and she began to caress it before leaning in to kiss him.

"Eli, I love you so much and I'm so sorry I've been a terrible wife. You've done nothing but been nice to me while I've been acting like a bitch. I don't deserve you."

"Shh, stop talking like that Imogen. You haven't been a terrible wife, you just have a lot going on."

Imogen smiled and kissed Eli again. She called her mom and told her she'll be at the hospital later. She wanted to be with Eli and Lillian now. They got into Eli's car and drove around, trying to find a place to go. Lillian was in the back seat, laughing the whole time. Neither of them knew why she was laughing, but she was. She was in such a happy mood. Imogen confessed that she hasn't been this happy until Eli came. Eli was flattered to know that his daughter had missed him a lot.

After what seemed thirty minutes a driving, they decided to go to the mall. Eli wanted to treat them and buy them a few outfits. He even wanted to buy them all matching T-Shirts. As soon as they arrived at the mall, Lillian was squealing.

"Ma-ma, daddy!" she laughed.

"What is wrong with her today?" Eli asked, as he searched for a parking spot.

"I dunno. I told you she wasn't like this before," Imogen laughed.

"Gosh, what did y'all feed her? Candy?"

"Maybe mama sneaked and gave her some."

Eli nodded as he found a parking spot. He parked the car, turned it off, and unbuckled his seat belt. He got out the car and opened the back door to get Lillian. He scooped her in his arms and closed the door. He walked around to where Imogen was and they went inside the mall.

An hour later, they had a lot of bags in their hands. They were on their way to another store and Imogen's phone began to ring. She dropped the bags and answered her phone. Her smile dropped along with her phone. She dropped to her knees and began to bang her first against the floor, not caring who was looking. Eli looked around to see people were actually looking at them. He ran over towards Imogen and wrapped his arms around her.

"Daddy, ma-ma's crying," Lillian said.

"I know honey," Eli said, "Why don't you give her a hug."

Lillian let go of Eli and walked over to Imogen. She wrapped her little arms around Imogen and patted her cheek.

"Don't cry, ma-ma," she cooed.

"Come on, Imogen. Let's go," Eli said.

...

Clare smiled as Antonio wrapped his muscular arms around her. She snuggled closer to him as they laid in his king size bed. Here she laid with his T-Shirt on and her laced, black underwear. She was really starting to fall for Antonio. She honestly thinks she loves him. He showed her that she could love someone else, again.

"What are you thinking about, angel?" Antonio asked.

"Antonio, I think I'm falling for you."

"Clare, would you like to meet my parents?"

Clare looked up at Antonio and frowned. Here she was telling Antonio how she felt and he was asking her to meet his parents. What was going on?

"Um, Antonio, did you not hear what I just told you?" Clare asked.

"Yes, I did and I'm asking would you like to meet my parents. Clare, I never let any girl meet my parents. I haven't even brought any girl to my house. I felt like they weren't good enough or that they'll eventually leave me. Clare, you're different. Even though you have a dark past, you still smile and welcome people. I'm falling for you, Clare. I-I love you."

Clare smiled and tears suddenly fell down her cheeks. She felt special. She felt like the luckiest girl on earth. All her feelings for Eli were really pushed aside now and she was moving on. She was seeing a brighter day.

"Oh Antonio, I love you, too!"

She roughly pulled him into a kiss. His hands found their way to her waist and he pulled her closer. She wrapped his legs around his waist and began to grind against him. Antonio's hands moved up the shirt and tugged on her panties. Clare gasped and pulled apart. She looked a little terrified.

"Did I do something wrong?" Antonio asked.

"N-No, it's just I'm not ready for that, yet. I'm sorry."

"No, love, don't you apologize for that. You're not ready and I respect that. I should be the one apologizing."

"It's fine. Let's just cuddle."

Antonio nodded his head and smiled. Clare laid her head on his chest as Antonio wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her forehead and began to stroke her hair. They stayed in that position until they fell asleep.


	12. Chapter 12

**Hi! Thank you for the reviews. Okay, Eli and Clare never went through the divorce so that's going to be in this chapter. How do you think they'll handle it? Also, Imogen and Clare will be face-to-face again. How do you think that'll turn out? **

**This chapter contains Imogeli love and Antonio + Clare steamy session. ;) There will also be a Alli, Jenna, and Clare time. This chapter is kind of long and packed.. Brace yourselves and ENJOY! **

**-I don't own Degrassi- **

* * *

Here they were sitting across from each other. Their eyes were locked upon one another. This past month has been a little shaky for Eli. Imogen recently lost her father and they were doing everything they could for his funeral. On top of that, he was making his divorce with Clare final. Everything with him and Imogen has been okay, that he forgot how much it was going to pain him to divorce Clare. Though they decided to be friends, it was still hard. It was hard to let go of everything that they had done in the past.

The room was filled with nothing, but whispers. The lawyers were whispering, making their final decisions. Eli stared at Clare, watching her gnawing at her lip. She grabbed her boyfriend's hand and squeezed it. A low growl escaped from Eli's lip. He was jealous. Clare moved on. Everything was really coming to a end. He didn't know why this had hurt him so much, because he was the one who made the decision. She was willing to stay with him, despite everything he had done while she was in a coma. She was willing to start all over and leave the past behind. He declined her offer and wanted to stay with Imogen.

Clare kept glancing at Eli, because she felt his piercing green eyes roam her body. She began to shift uncomfortably in her chair. She felt Antonio's fingers caress her hand, reassuring her that everything was going to be okay. He kissed her cheek softly.

Clare eyes met Antonio's and she gave him a weak smile. She wasn't sure if she was okay. Her heart was breaking once again. Everything seemed like a nightmare. It was a nightmare that she couldn't wake up from. Then again, once this nightmare is over, it can turn into a beautiful dream. She had Antonio, now. Maybe this was for the best.

Clare's lawyer turned to her and began talking to her. She nodded her head and watched the papers slide over to her. Clare grabbed a pen and signed the papers. Once she was done, she handed the papers back to her lawyer. She watched her lawyer hand the papers to Eli and she saw him sign them.

Everything was over. They were finally divorced. After being dismissed from the case, Clare stood up with Antonio's hand still attached to hers. As they were about to walk out of the door, Imogen started loudly cheering. Clare turned around to see Imogen pull Eli into a kiss.

"Gosh, Eli, now you're finally all mine! This cause for a celebration. How about I let mom watch Lillian tonight," she purred.

Anger boiled in Clare's body. How dare she?! She hated Imogen and Clare haven't hated anyone since Asher. Though the hate couldn't compare, it was something like it.

Clare shook her head and let Antonio pull her out the door. As they were walking down the hall, Eli ran out of the room and called her. She turned around and looked at him. Her eyes were watery.

"I hope this doesn't effect our friendship," Eli said.

"N-No, Eli. Not at all," Clare said, softly, looking at the ground.

Before Eli could say something else, Imogen managed to catch up with him. She walked towards him and folded her arms across her chest.

"Why'd you leave, Eli?" She asked, before looking up at Clare, "Oh. I see. Hello, Clare."

"Hi, Imogen."

"I see you found someone new. It's about time you found someone."

"Imogen stop," Eli said.

"I'm sorry, Eli, but it's time Clare moved on. You know that."

"Look, Imogen. Obviously you and I aren't on the greatest terms, but you're going to have to suck it up, because you're going to be seeing a lot of me now."

"And why is that?" Imogen said coldly.

"Your husband didn't tell you?" Clare asked, catching Eli's eye. He was silently begging her not to say anything.

"Tell me what? Elijah, what aren't you telling me?" she asked.

"Clare and I decided to become friends," he said.

"Oh isn't that...nice. Eli, let's go," Imogen commanded.

Before Eli could protest, Imogen yelled, "NOW!"

Eli followed behind Imogen as she stormed out of the building. They got into the car and drove off. While driving, Imogen called her mother and told her to keep Lillian for the night. Afterwards, the ride home was silent. When they arrived home, Imogen slammed the car door and walked to the house. She opened the door and tried to slam it, but Eli was quick enough to catch it.

"What the hell is your problem?" he asked, closing the front door.

"You kept another secret from me! You and that girl are friends!"

"Yes, Imogen, we're friends. That doesn't mean that we'll run off and fall in love, again. It means that we're just friends! I want you and only you, Imogen. It's just Clare has been in my life for so long, that I want her to stay in it."

Imogen sighed and said, "Okay. I'm going to go take a bubble bath."

Once Eli heard the bathroom door shut, he went upstairs to their room. It was around 11 a.m. The two of them has been up since 5:30 a.m. taking care of Lillian. She had a little cold and she was crying all night. Eli finally had the chance to relax. He wanted to take a little nap, before taking Imogen out to dinner tonight.

He stripped out of his clothes, leaving only his boxers on. As he was about to doze off, Imogen came out of the bathroom, wrapped in nothing but a towel. Eli sat up and looked at her as she walked over towards him. She let the towel fall and she kicked it over, her eyes never left Eli's.

"Make love to me, Eli," she whispered.

Eli pushed off the covers and sat on the edge of the bed. He slipped off his boxers and kicked them aside, along with Imogen's towel. Imogen sat on his lap and slowly began to grind until she felt Eli's penis harden. Eli grabbed his penis and let Imogen slide down on it, causing both of them to groan. Imogen pushed him back and began to rock her hips. Eli reached up to grab her hips.

"Oh, Eli," Imogen moaned, softly.

Her eyes were glistening and they were full of lust. She looked so sad and so horny at the same time. Eli's hands caressed her soft body. Her manicured nails dug into his chest and trailed down his body, leaving red marks behind. Little whimpers escaped from her parted lips as she threw her head back. Eli slowly moved his hands to Imogen's breast and slowly caressed them, before moving to her pink buds. He slightly pinched them and rolled them between his index finger and thumb.

Eli was so close, but he didn't want to cum. He wanted tonight to be all about Imogen. He wanted to make sure she was satisfied. He lifted Imogen off of him and tossed her softly on the bed. He rolled her over so she was lying on her stomach. He then lifted her hips so that her butt was in the air. Eli spread her legs and bends down so he was facing her sweet, dripping area. He stuck out his tongue and slowly flicked it across her clit.

"Fuck," Imogen groan.

He buried his face inside of his wife, tasting her sweet juices. The room was filled with Imogen's moaning and whimpers now and then. He flicked his tongue furiously across her clit, causing her to squeal. She buried her head in the pillow as Eli continue to explore her hot area. Eli knew that she was so close to coming. He felt her was clench and un-clench around his tongue. Soon after her warm juices flowed in his mouth and dripped on his chin. Eli began to lick her clean, making sure to not leave a drop. He lifted his head and wiped his mouth.

Imogen turned around and lay on her back. Eli flopped down next to her and wrapped his arms around her. As he was dozing off, for a second time, Imogen began to cry. Eli knew she was heartbroken. She just lost her father and there was nothing he could do to make her feel better. Nothing at all. He grabbed Imogen legs and wrapped them around him, pulling her closer. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her forehead. He stroked her hair as she continued to cry. He knew that she didn't want to talk. She just wanted him to hold her as she cried. He was okay with that. He continued to stroke her hair. Eventually the crying died down and there was just sniffling. Soon after, that stopped and Imogen was asleep. Eli kissed her forehead once again and went to sleep.

...

Clare and Antonio were lying on the beach, watching the beautiful sunset. There was a nice, summer breeze that hugged Clare's body, causing her to shiver. Antonio grabbed the blanket next to him and wrapped it around the two of them. His warm body instantly warmed Clare.

"How are you feeling?" Antonio finally asked.

"I'm okay. At least I have you," Clare confessed.

Antonio kissed Clare softly on the lips. When Antonio was about to pull away, Clare pulled him closer to deepened the kiss. Antonio rubbed his hands up and down Clare's back, sending chills. Antonio broke the kiss and moved his lips to Clare's neck. He trailed his tongue down her neck and lightly bit down on it. He began to suck on her neck. Clare let out a low moan as her hands found their way to Antonio's belt.

Antonio stopped sucking on Clare's neck and looked up at her.

"Is this what you want?" Antonio asked.

Clare nodded her head. Yes, this is exactly what she wanted. Now that she was free from Eli she could make love to Antonio and not feel guilty.

Antonio smiled and reached down to kiss Clare, again. Seconds later, their clothes were off and tossed aside on the sand. Their naked bodies glistened under the moonlight. Antonio's hands roamed Clare's soft body.

"You're so beautiful, Clare," he whispered.

He caressed her breast softly before trailing his tongue down to her hip done. He stopped and lifted her legs on his shoulders and dipped his head down. Her sweet musk tickled his nose, causing him to let out a groan before diving his tongue inside of her.

"Ah, Antonio," Clare moaned softly.

He swirled his tongue inside her hot area, licking all around her walls. He brought his finger to her little bundle of nerves and pressed down on it. Clare arched her back and squealed as Antonio moved his thumb in a circular motion. Clare cried out Antonio's name as she squirmed around. Antonio slid a finger inside of Clare while his tongue moved to her clit. He sucked on her clit as he pumped his finger in and out of her hot core. He added another finger, causing Clare to arch her back more. Her parted lips let out loud moans.

Her moans echoed through the empty beach, along with the sound of the water from the ocean. Antonio felt Clare's walls clench around his fingers, signaling that she was close. He replaced his fingers with his tongue and furiously began to lick her.

"Ahh, I'm coming!" Clare cried out.

She closed her eyes and arched her back as he juices squirted out of her. It covered most of Antonio's face. When he placed Clare's legs off his shoulders, Clare blushed. His face was glistening with her juices over him. Antonio smirked and grabbed a towel to wipe his face.

As he laid on his back, Clare crawled over towards him and grabbed his hard member. She gave a long stroke, causing Antonio to jerk his hips and let out a moan.

"Clare you don't-"

"I want to," she said, lustful.

Clare moved her hand slowly up and down his cock before twisting her hand softly. Antonio let out loud, throaty moans. Clare lowered her head and stuck her tongue out to lick the tip. The pre cum began oozing out. She lowered her mouth on to Antonio's cock, swallowing him whole.

"Fuuuuck!" Antonio cried out.

Clare bobbed her head up and down his cock. Her eyes were locked on his the while time. Clare removed her mouth from him and began to stroke him before lowering her head back on his cock. She bobbed her head fast. Antonio grabbed a fistful of Clare's hair, guiding her. He was close, Clare knew that. She felt his cock twitch in her mouth. She sucked his tip and stroke the base of his cock fast until his hot seed shot in her mouth. Clare swallowed every drop. She came up to Antonio and laid next to him.

They both were pretty tired. They decided to lay down and fall asleep.

...

Jenna and Alli called Clare around 10 in the morning to talk to her. She hasn't talked to the two of them since the day she walked out on them. She had to admit, she really did miss them. Once Antonio dropped her off at home, Clare went to shower and dress.

The girls around at her house at 11:30. She greeted both of them with a big hug. They made their apologies and decided to take Clare shopping for her dress, because Alli wanted her to be the maid of honor.

Now they were at the mall, shopping for a dress for Clare. Jenna gasped and grabbed Clare.

"What's on your neck?!" she asked.

Clare forgot that Antonio had given her a couple of hickeys. She blushed and tried to cover them with her hand, but it was too late.

"Who gave my Clarebear a hickey?" Alli asked.

"I met this guy at a bar the day I left y'all two. We kind of hit it off and now we're dating."

Alli and Jenna squealed. They decided to gossip and shop. Clare was happy, but something didn't seem quite right. She didn't know what it was. Then Eli popped into her mind. She felt a little strange not being with him. Clare was no long Clare Goldsworthy. She was back to being Clare Edwards. She felt weird not having his name. She should be happy, though. Eli was happy with Imogen and she was happy with Antonio.

Clare decided to focus her attention back to her friends. She was glad they made up. She was glad to have her friends back by her side.


	13. Chapter 13

**I am so, so, so sorry that I haven't been updating. I was feeling ... down and I had no motivation to come to the computer and update. I hope I didn't lose my readers. :( I am truly sorry.**

**And um, I need to address something. THIS IS AN ECLARE STORY, but its towards the end. The beginning is Imogeli and Clare and Antonio. I promise Eli and Clare will get together, you just have to remain patient. I understand if some of you would want to stop reading this story. That is totally understandable, but just bare with me. Please? **

**-I don't own Degrassi- **

* * *

Eli woke up to Imogen's humming. He sat up and saw her getting dress. Yesterday was a blur. It all went by quickly. All he remembers is him and Clare getting a divorce. He didn't feel anything, but empty. A part of him felt like it was ripped out. He felt like his soul had suddenly left his body. He loved Imogen, but she didn't give him that feeling that Clare did. If it weren't for Imogen, he would've still been with Clare. It was all Imogen's fault though, it was his. He shouldn't have married Imogen. This was a mistake that he couldn't take back.

"Where are you going?" Eli asked.

"My boss, James, call me this morning. He needs me to go on a business trip with him," she said, putting on her earrings.

"To where?" Eli asked, sitting up.

"To California. I'll be gone for a week, maybe two," she said hurriedly.

"A _week_?_ Maybe_ two!? Are there any other people going? Where will you stay? In a separate room, I hope!"

"Relax darling. You know you're the only one for me and for the record, I am the only one going. That is only because I am the only one who gets the job done properly. We are staying in a _separate _hotel room. Don't you worry, Eli."

Eli sighed as he watched his wife pack her clothes in her suit case. She walked over towards him, her heels clacking against the soft carpet. She bent down and gave Eli a kiss on the forehead.

"I'm going to go kiss Lilly goodbye. I'll call you when I arrive at the airport," she said exiting the room.

"I love you!" Eli called out.

Imogen didn't reply. He figured she didn't hear him. Once he heard the door downstairs close, he knew that she was gone. He rolled out of bed and walked into the bathroom. He decided to take a shower and get dress.

Eli turned the shower on and let the water warm up. Then, he jumped into the shower and happily sighed, letting the water hit his skin. He grabbed the bar of soap and his face towel, then he began to wash his body. After washing and rinsing for a few minutes, Eli turned off the shower and stepped out. He grabbed his towel and wrapped it around his waist. He walked back to his room and towards his closet.

Eli rummaged through the closet, trying to decide on what to wear today. He stopped upon his favorite Dead Hand shirt. He took it off the hanger and tossed it on the bed. He searched some more and found a pair of black skinny jeans. He tossed them aside and went to his dresser to get some boxers and socks. Eli put his clothes on and walked to Lillian's room.

"Daddy!" Lillian squealed.

"Hi my little princess. Let's get you out this crib, bathed, and dressed."

Lillian stood up and held her arms out. Eli grabbed her and walked into the bathroom. He ran Lillian's bath water until it was high enough for her. He placed her in the bath and began to wash her up. After he finished, he took her out, put her on a pull-up and went into her room. He got her out a little dress to wear.

"What can we do today?" Eli asked Lillian, "We're both dressed and need plans. I know, how about we call Clare?"

Eli dialed Clare's number. Her phone rang three times before she answered.

_"Hello?"_

"Hey, Clare, it's Eli. Are you busy today?"

_"Um,"_ Clare paused and Eli heard shuffling_, "No. What's up?"_

"Lillian and I need something to do since Imogen left us for a couple of weeks. Want to hang out?"

_"That sounds ... fun. Come to my house and we can find something to do."_

"Okay, we're on our way."

Eli hung up and walked down the steps with Lillian wrapped in his arms. He grabbed his keys and the two were out the house. He locked the door and went towards his car. Eli unlocked the backseat and put Lilly in her car seat. He strapped her in securely and closed the door. Afterwards, Eli walked towards the driver's seat, opened it, and got into the car. He started the car and drove off to Clare's.

...

She couldn't believe Eli had asked her to hang out! After the divorce yesterday, she thought the two would wait for a while before hanging out. She felt a little awkward, but she wanted to hang out with Eli. She missed him, a lot.

Clare looked in the bathroom mirror, making sure she looked decent. Yes, she had a boyfriend, but she still wanted to look decent for Eli. She wanted him to see what he had left behind. She applied a little lip gloss before walking out the bathroom.

As she walking down the steps, the doorbell went off. Clare hurriedly walked down the rest of the steps and opened the door. She saw Eli standing there with his daughter, Lillian. Clare cocked her head to the side. Now that she got a closer look at Lillian, she didn't look much like Eli. She looked a lot like Imogen. To be honest, she didn't look like Eli at all.

Clare decided to let that thought stay to herself. She moved aside and let the two walk in.

"Hello, Clare, buddy."

"Hi, Eli," Clare said, closing the door, "It's nice of you to come by today."

"Yeah, I know. I missed you Clare."

Clare stood there, not knowing what to say. She wanted to say she missed him back, but she didn't want him to know that just yet. She wanted Eli to know she was doing great without them being together.

"I-I mean, I missed hanging with you. You know, as a friend," Eli stammered, his cheeks getting red.

"O-Oh, yeah, I know what you meant. Um, what do you want to do today?"

"What do you have in mind?" Eli asked, sitting down on the couch.

Clare watched as Lillian began to rub her stubby fingers on Eli's face. A giggle came from Lillian's lips and she started squealing. Eli began tickling Lillian, whose squeals became louder.

Clare stood there, a smile forming. It wasn't a happy smile, it was more of a sad smile. She began to imagine that being her and Eli's child. Her heart was breaking once again. Was hanging out with him a good idea? Clare looked away for a second, not wanting Eli to see a tear slide down her cheek.

"Clare," Eli said, catching her attention, "We should stay here and watch movies."

"Sure, Eli. That sounds like a great idea. You find a movie and I'll pop some popcorn," she said walking away.

Clare went into the kitchen and grabbed two packs of popcorn. She took the plastic off one pack and put it in the microwave. She turned the microwave on and let a tear slide down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away, not wanting to cry. After the microwave went off, Clare took the popcorn out. She grabbed a big bowl, opened the popcorn, and poured it into a bowl. She placed the second pack into the microwave and waited for it to finish. Once it finished, she took it out and poured it in the bowl. She walked towards the refrigerator, opened it, and grabbed two bottles of lemonade. Clare grabbed the popcorn and drinks and made her way back into the living room.

"What movie did you pick?" she asked, sitting down next to Eli.

"The Avengers."

"Cool."

Throughout the first half, Lillian talked, squealed, and giggled. Towards the end, she was sound asleep. Clare paused the movie when Eli wanted to take her in a room to sleep. When he came back down, Clare pressed play. The two sat in silence, enjoying the rest of the movie.

"That was a great movie," Eli said when the movie went off.

"Yeah, I like this movie a lot."

"Me too," Eli said, smiling.

"Want to watch another movie?" Clare asked.

"Sure. Your pick."

"I guess we can watch Ted. It's pretty funny."

"I heard it was. I never seen it."

"Oh my gosh! You have to see it! It's seriously funny!"

Clare got up and walked towards her stack of DVD's. She found Ted, took the Avengers out of the DVD player, and put Ted in there. She sat on the couch and pressed play. Thirty minutes through the movie, Clare and Eli were laughing wildly.

"Clare, I haven't laughed like this in a while," Eli said turning towards her.

"Yeah, me either," Clare admitted her eyes meeting Eli's.

Their faces were only inches apart. Clare could hear Eli's breathing picking up. Eli leaned in slowly only to have Clare cup his face and crash her lips on his. Their lips moved softly, savoring the kiss. The kiss was soft and passionate, as if the two wanted to make this moment special. Clare broke the kiss by pushing Eli away from her. She gasped and shook her head, tears spilling from her eyes.

"Clare I-"

"I'm so sorry, Eli. I think you should leave," she managed to choke out.

Eli slowly nodded his head. He stood up and walked up the steps. Moments later he came down with a sleeping Lillian cradled in his arms. Clare walked towards the door and opened it. Eli walked out and turned around to look at Clare.

"Clare-"

"Just leave, Eli, please."

Eli turned around and walked off the porch. Clare closed the door and slid down on the floor. She brought her knees to her chest and put her face in her hands. Clare began sobbing loudly.

There was a knock on the door and it startled Clare. She stood up and wiped the tears away. She opened it and saw Antonio standing there. A rush of relief went through Clare's body.

"What's wrong, beautiful?" Antonio asked, walking into the house.

Clare closed the door and took a deep breath. She didn't want to keep this from her boyfriend, so she decided to tell him.

"Right before you came, Eli was over here and - and we kissed," Clare said, not looking up at Antonio.

"What?!" Antonio yelled.

"I-I'm sorry, Antonio. It was an accident. I promise it'll never happen again," Clare cried.

"Damn right it'll never happen again, because I don't want you seeing him anymore!"

"Antonio, you can't-"

"I can't what?! I can't stop the women I love from seeing someone she still has strong feelings for?! Is that so wrong?!"

"Okay, I won't see him anymore."

Antonio walked over towards Clare and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed the top of her head.

"I love you Clare."

"I love you, too," she whispered, a tear sliding down her cheek.


	14. Chapter 14

**HELLO. I wanted to update today, because I just couldn't stay away from this story. I wanted you all to see what is going to happen next. What do you all think of Antonio? Like him? Dislike him? Well, I guarantee you this next chapter will have you all shocked. Get ready too have your mouths like :O . Hehe. **

**~Drop reviews. :) They keep my motivated. Five reviews=Next chapter Sunday morning. Okay? **

**Instagram: xeclarex**

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**-I don't own Degrassi-**

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_Hello, you've reached Clare. Leave a message after the beep._

This was the fifth time today that he has called Clare. She kept sending him to voice mail. He knew that she's ignoring him, because of what happened. All he wanted to do was apologize. Eli knew it was wrong to kiss her, but he couldn't help it. He had missed her and her soft kisses.

"Clare, it's me, Eli. I - I am so sorry, okay? Don't avoid me, please. Call me."

Eli hung up and began pacing around the quiet house. Lillian was gone with his parents since they wanted to see her. He had the house to himself and didn't know what to do. All he could think about was Clare. He thought about her face, her eyes, her lips. Everything.

Eli's phone ring and he hurriedly picked it up without looking at the caller I.D.

"Hello, Clare?" he answered.

_"No, Adam. Why are you expecting Clare?"_ Adam asked, teasingly.

"Adam, I did something bad. I - I kissed Clare, dude."

_"You what?! Eli you're married and she has a boyfriend! How could you-"_

"I know, Adam. Don't judge me, please. I need to talk to her, but she's ignoring my calls and I don't want to go over there because she's just going to avoid me."

_"Even if you did come to see her, she's not here. She told me she was going to spend a few days with Antonio."_

"And you let her?!" Eli growled.

_"She's grown, Eli, and I actually approve of Antonio. He's a real good guy."_

"You're no help, Adam. I thought you wanted Clare and I back together."

_"I did, until you divorced her and she got with Antonio. Look, Eli, just let her be happy. Alright?"_

Eli hung up the phone. He tossed it aside and yelled. He walked over towards the couch in the living room. He sat down and ran his fingers through his hair. He tugged his hair and let tears fall from his eyes. What was he supposed to do? Clare wouldn't leave his mind. He loved Clare so much and it was hurting him that he couldn't get with her. Well, he could, but that would mean he wouldn't see his daughter anymore.

He laid on the couch and hugged his knees. Tears were still falling down his cheeks. He closed his eyes and began falling asleep.

...

Clare looked at her phone. She had five missed calls, ten text messages, and three voice mails from Eli. She wanted to look at them, but she couldn't. She was with Antonio at the moment. Clare sighed and put her hair into a messy bun. She crawled on the couch and snuggled with her boyfriend. Antonio kindly pushed Clare away from him.

Antonio was a little distant with Clare. When she tried to kiss him, he would turn away or make up some excuse. When she tried to cuddle, he would push her away or move away from her. She was tired of it!

"Did I do something? Does my breath stink? Do I reek? Please, tell me," Clare pleaded.

"You didn't do anything and you smell fine," he said dryly.

"Then why are you pushing me away?" Clare asked.

"Because you kissed him," Antonio said bitterly.

"It was a mistake that will never happen again. How many times do I have to say that?!"

"You can say it as much as you want, Clare! It still doesn't change that you kissed him!"

"I told you I would stay away from him! What more do you want?!"

"I want to know why! Why did you kiss him, Clare?!"

Clare gulped and looked down at the floor. Antonio knew why she kissed him. Why was he going to make her say it? It was just going to make things worse. She remained quiet, afraid to say the answer. She knew Antonio was going to get mad. There was no point of telling him.

"Tell me, now, Clare!" he yelled, causing Clare to flinch.

Tears slid down Clare's cheeks. She wiped them away and more came. Soon after, she began crying loudly. She looked at Antonio with sad eyes.

"Crying won't get you out of it, Clare. Tell me now, damn it!" he demanded.

"Because I love him!" Clare yelled, "Okay? I still love, Eli. I - I'm sorry, Antonio."

"Then why aren't you with him?!"

"He has a family and I love you! I have you. I only want you!"

"Bullshit, Clare. That is bullshit! You don't only want me, you want him too."

"Antonio, please. Let's not go through this."

Antonio walked towards Clare. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her roughly.

"Let go of me, please!" she cried.

"Why can't you let him go?!" Antonio yelled, still shaking her.

"Antonio, please, stop!"

"I gave you everything, Clare! Do you know how hard it is to make you get over him!?" he yelled.

Clare's vision was fading in and out. She tried to remain conscious, but she couldn't. She remembers Antonio pushing her and her body falling onto the hardwood floor. Everything went black.

...

It was 10:30 p.m. when Eli woke up. He looked at his phone and saw that Imogen still hasn't called him. He figured she forgot and decided to call her. After the fourth ring, Imogen finally picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, baby. I miss you," Eli said.

"Oh, uh, Eli. Hey. I miss you, too," she said uneasily.

"Are you okay?" Eli asked.

"Um-"

Eli heard someone on the other line say, "Immy I'm ready, again." It was a male's voice.

"Imogen who was-"

"Oh, look at the time. Talk to you later."

She hung up before Eli could question her. He threw his phone down, hearing a crack sound. He couldn't believe it. Imogen was cheating on him.


	15. Chapter 15

**WOW! 88 reviews! I am so happy. Thank you so much. You don't know how much that means to me. There are four more chapters left to this story. I just want to thank you so much for being there for me. You all has seriously been amazing. **

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Once again, Clare was in the hospital. She woke up to the familiar stench and the beeping nose. She looked around at the plain, white walls and groaned. She tried to sit up, but winced along the way. Her head was pounding. She hardly remembers what happened.

She looked over to see Antonio sleeping. Then it had hit her. Antonio and her had gotten into an argument. He had pushed her down. A tear slid down from Clare's cheek. She wiped it away and took a deep breath.

Clare gasped when she saw Antonio stir in his sleep. Honestly, she was terrified of him. She couldn't even be near him now. He had hurt her and that was crossing the line. Clare closed her eyes, pretending that she was still unconscious. She didn't want to face him ... not right now.

"What have I done?" she heard Antonio cry.

Clare also heard the door open. She heard a gasp and sniffling.

"What the hell happened?" It was Adam's voice.

"We got into an argument and I started shaking her. Then I p-pushed her and lost conscious."

"Get the hell out of here," Adam growled.

"Look, Adam. I -"

"Leave now, before I kick your ass!" Adam threatened.

Clare heard feet shuffling. Then the door closed. She heard footsteps come towards her and sighing.

"Clare, I hate that you're in the hospital, again," Adam said.

Clare's eyes fluttered opened. She gave Adam a weak smile.

"Me too," Clare said weakly.

Adam smiled and hugged Clare. He kissed the top of her head and smiled.

"I'm so glad you're okay. I wanted to kick Antonio's ass! How dare he -"

"I'm breaking up with him. I don't want this happening again in the future."

"What was the argument about?"

"Eli."

Adam sighed. He ran his fingers through his hair.

Clare looked at Adam and shook her head. She watched Adam reach up towards her and wipe the hair out of her face. She smiled widely and grabbed Adam's hand. Clare intertwined her hand in Adam's and gave it a light squeeze. She didn't know what she would do without Adam. If it wasn't for him she wouldn't have a job or a place to stay.

"I called your job and let them know you'll be out for a couple of days."

"Thank you, Adam."

"I also called Eli and he's on his way," Adam said quickly.

"You what?!" Clare yelled.

"Clare, you two need to talk," Adam said.

"There's nothing to talk about. We kissed and that was it."

"Clare, please talk to him. He's been bugging me about you. Just talk to him. Please," Adam begged.

"Fine," Clare said, giving in.

Adam and Clare sat in silence, waiting on Eli to come. Whenever the door opened, Clare would look up to see if it was Eli, but it wasn't. It was only the doctors and nurses coming to check on Clare or bringing her food.

An hour later, the door opened. Clare head shot up and she seen Eli standing there with a bouquet of roses, a card, and balloons. He gave her a smirk when he seen her expression. Clare smiled widely and cupped her hands over her mouth. Her heart skipped a beat as he walked over towards her. Eli handed her the roses and the card. He tied the balloons to her bed and put his hands in his pockets.

"I'll leave you two alone. I need to go call m'lady," Adam said, walking out the room.

"So," Eli said, rocking on his heels, "How are you?"

"I'm a little shaken up. I can't believe I'm here, again."

"How did this happen?"

"Antonio and I got into an argument about ... me and you. He got mad, shook my roughly, and pushed me hard. I lost conscious."

"I'm going to kill him," Eli growled.

"No, Eli, please don't."

"He hurt you, Clare!"

"Yes, but I'm going to break up with him. Problem solved."

"Problem not solved. You're in the damn hospital while he's walking around these streets!"

Clare winced as she listened to Eli yell and growl. He was mad and he had every right to be. Antonio had hurt her. Clare even wanted to kill him, but violence wasn't the answer.

The door opened and in walked Dr. Myles. He smiled at Clare and shook hands with Eli.

"Hello, Mrs. Edwards. It's good to see you, again. I read over your tests and everything is fine. You shall be able to go home tomorrow. I'll prescribe you some painkillers for your head."

"Thank you Dr. Myles."

Dr. Myles left the room, leaving Eli and Clare alone.

"Did you get my messages?" Eli asked.

"I couldn't read them. Antonio didn't want me to have anything to do with you."

Eli sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He walked over towards the window and began looking out of it. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. His mind was wandering off, thinking about Clare and Imogen. He had the slightest feeling Imogen was cheating on him.

Then there was Clare. She was so hurt. This was the second time he had come to the hospital this year to see Clare. He felt so terrible. He should have divorced Imogen and stayed with Clare. It was his fault, once again Clare was in the hospital.

Eli turned around and looked at Clare. A single tear slid down his cheek. Clare gave him a faint smile.

"Come here," she said, patting a seat next to her.

Eli walked over towards the bed and sat next to Clare. She laid her head on his shoulder and took his hand in hers. She then gave it a light squeeze.

"What's wrong, Eli?" she asked.

"I feel like it's my fault you're in the hospital."

"Eli," Clare said, sighing, "It's not your fault. You wasn't the one who pushed me. You weren't the one who put me in here."

"Yeah, but I did before Clare and if it wasn't for me choosing Imogen over you, you wouldn't have been in here."

"Eli, stop beating yourself up. It's not your fault."

Eli turned around and looked at Clare, their eyes locking. Clare leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. He smiled at her and let go of Clare's hand only to wrap his arms around her. They stayed like this for a few moments, enjoying the silence.

"When Imogen and I get divorce, I want us to go on a date," Eli finally said.

"A - A divorce? What do you mean?"

"I think, no, I _know _she's cheating on me. When she comes back, I'm going to confront her and file for a divorce. After my divorce is over, I want us to go on a date Clare. What do you say?"

Clare stared at Eli with wide eyes. She didn't know what to say. She was shocked. Eli wanted to divorce his wife and go out with Clare ... on a date. This was all happening too fast, but in a way she was glad it was happening.

"What about Lillian?" Clare asked.

"I'll try to fight for custody."

Clare still had no answer.

"So, what do you say?" Eli asked, again.


	16. Chapter 16

***I am SO close to 100 reviews! OMG! Thank you all so, so much for the reviews. It makes me very happy to know you all are reading and reviewing this story. This chapter will have some of you shocked and the others one won't seem that much surprised. That's all I am saying. Enjoy. :)**

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Eli was sitting on the couch, waiting for Imogen to come home. She called him while he was at Adam's house, keeping a close eye on Clare. When Imogen had called, Eli left immediately, kissing Clare before parting. Now, here he was, waiting for his wife to arrive. It almost disgusted him to say she was his wife. He knew that there was something about that damn Imogen. Knowing that an argument was going to end up happening, Eli asked his parents to keep Lillian.

Eli sat up straight and felt his heart skip a beat when the door swung open. His heart thumped against his chest when he heard her heels walked across the floor. The door closed and she walked over towards Eli, her bags clutched tightly in her hands. She sat the bags down and opened her arms, waiting for Eli to walk into the hug.

"Well, don't just sit there. Come and give me a hug," she said, smiling.

Her smile fell when she saw Eli just sit there with an emotionless look. She walked over to her husband to put her hand on his shoulder, but he flinched at the touch. Imogen looked at him with a horrid face. She didn't know why her husband was acting this way.

"Have a seat. We need to talk," Eli said calmly.

Imogen walked over towards the couch and sat down. She put her hands in her lap and began to fiddle. She was nervous.

"Imogen, are you cheating on me?" he finally asked.

He expected her to make up some sort of lie, like she always did to get out of things. Instead she did the opposite, she broke down. She began sobbing. Her body began shaking. She looked up at Eli, expecting him to come over and hug her, like he always did. This time was different. He was tired of kissing and making up with someone who was going to hurt him all over.

"Imogen, answer me. Are you cheating on me?" he asked again.

"Yes!" she screamed out, "Yes, I am. W- With James."

"Damn it, Imogen!" Eli cursed.

He punched the glass table, causing glass to shatter. He grabbed his hand and cursed, again. Imogen ran over towards him, trying to make sure he was okay.

"Get away from me!" he yelled.

"Eli-"

"You cheated on me. How long, Imogen?"

"Eli, please-"

"How long!?" he yelled loudly.

"A little over two years."

"Another question. Is Lillian mine?"

"Eli, you know that is a stupid-"

"Is she mine, Imogen? I'm starting to put two and two together. Two years ago, Lillian was born. If you kind of think of it, she looks _nothing_ like me!"

Imogen cried, again. She shook her head and let a faint cry come out her mouth. She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and turned away from Eli.

"She's James," Imogen whispered.

"When were you planning on telling me!?" he hollered, causing Imogen to flinch.

His heart was breaking. The child that he had raised and seen when she was first-born wasn't his. The child that he had taught how to walk and talk wasn't his. She was someone else's. He had called someone else's child his daughter all this time. All this time, he could have been with Clare. He could have made up all the time he loss with her. He could have started a family with her. Why was everything falling apart now?

He looked over at the liar and seen that she was in tears. Why was _she_ crying? Was it because she got caught? Or was it because she knew Eli was about to divorce her? Either way, she didn't deserve to cry. She was the one who brought this on herself! _She _was the one who had sex with another man, _she _was the one who had unprotected sex! Eli was on the verge of crying. He thought that he actually had a child. The only things that were good about this was he was going to get Clare back and if things went well, they could get back together.

"Eli, please, I am so sorry. Just hear me out," she pleaded.

"NO! Pack your bags and leave, Imogen."

"Where am I supposed to go?!"

"I don't give a fuck where you go! Here's an idea, go stay with your baby daddy!"

"Eli-"

"GET THE HELL OUT!"

Imogen stormed upstairs. Eli sighed and buried his face in his hands. He started crying. He felt so stupid. He wiped the tears from his cheeks and let out a heavy sigh. Lillian wasn't his. That was all he could think about. What was he supposed to do?

Moments later Imogen came back down the steps with some bags in her hands. She dropped them on the floor and walked over to where Eli was. She placed a hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it off.

"Goodbye, Eli," she whispered, kissing the top of his head.

She walked to the front door and grabbed her bags. She looked back at Eli and let a tear roll down her cheek. She opened the door and walked out, slamming it behind her.

...

Clare was at the mall with Jenna and Alli. Alli's wedding was a month away and they wanted Clare to get her dress for the wedding. Alli had made Clare the maid of honor. When Clare had found out, she was excited! She was kind of surprised that Alli had made her the maid of honor.

The trio was having a good time. After they found Clare's dress and shoes, they went shopping for Alli. Since she already had her dress, they decided to pick her out something a little sexy for her honeymoon. She didn't even tell the two about Antonio and Eli yet.

Jenna showed Alli a cute neon pink bra that had a sparkly trimming along the way. The panties were made the same way. Alli squealed in excitement, but Clare didn't like it. She looked around the exotic store, searching for something to find her best friend. She found a red and black laced corset with matching panties that had straps to hook on to the corset. She grabbed it and walked over to Alli, showing her.

"Oh my gosh! This is too cute!" Alli squeals, hugging Clare.

"You have to get it," Jenna said looking at it.

"I know! Thank you so much, Clare!"

Clare laughed and nodded her head. Alli went to pay for her items while Clare and Jenna looked around.

"So," Jenna asked, "Getting anything for you and Antonio."

"No," Clare said quietly.

"Clare, are you okay?" Jenna asked.

"N-No. I need to tell you and Alli something.

"Okay, let's wait until we go to the food court."

Alli came over to her best friends and they linked arms. They walked out the store and went to the food court to get some food. Alli got some tacos, Jenna and Clare got a pizza to split. They found a table and took a seat. Clare looked at her friends and sighed.

"I was in the hospital for a couple of days," she said.

"What? Why?" Alli asked.

"Antonio and I had gotten into an argument about Eli. I told him about Eli and I sharing a kiss. He told me not to see Eli again and I told him I wasn't. When I went to stay over Antonio's house for the weekend, we got argued. He shook me to the point I was losing conscious. On top of that he pushed me very hard and I- I blanked out."

"Oh Clare," Jenna said, putting her hand to her chest.

"Are you still with him?" Alli asked, "I will kill him!"

"I'm still with him. I've avoided him," she admitted.

"You have to talk to him, Clare," Jenna said.

"I know. I will," Clare said, wiping a tear from her eye.

After eating and spending more time with her best friends, they dropped her back off at her and Adam's home. Antonio kept popping into her head. She knew she had to talk to him, but avoiding him seem so perfect now. She was afraid to talk to him. Clare was afraid he was going to hurt her, again. She took out her phone and decided to call Eli. He was the only one who could calm her down at this point. His phone rang twice before it went straight to voice mail. She sighed and called again, this time she reached his voice mail.

_"You reached Eli. Leave a message after the annoying beep."_

BEEEEP!

"Eli, it's Clare. Are you okay? Anyways, I just wanted to hear your voice. I feel so alone. Um, call me when you get a chance. Bye," Clare hung up and tossed her phone aside.

What was she going to do?


End file.
